Believe to Achieve

Almost as gross as yesterday--stomach and nausea worse--sinuses non stop clear drainage.  Ate badly last night working the holiday for over 12 hours from 6 pm to 640am.  Couldn't take anything to help me sleep because I threw up when I got home.  Not a sick throw up but a garbage rejector throw up.  I ate like 4 chocolate chip cookies then someone brought in cinnamon rolls at 4am.  And earlier I had Costco meatballs with a very creative pasta salad (lots of different veggies and some fruit) with poppy seed dressing.   It just did not turn well in my stomach.  So I slept from 7 until 10 am then turned on the TV to find something to lull me back to sleep.  Watched some New Year's parade in California.  Was so wanting to be there in the 80 degree sunny weather they were enjoying.  Got up just before 1pm, still feeling intensely nauseated so I drank some ice cold water and took a probiotic.  Walked like the dead for an hour and figured a medium-paced run might help rid my body of the rest of the garbage followed by a hot bath/shower.  Ran 4.14 miles @ 8:05 avg. :  8:11, 8:23, 8:15, 7:30, 8:00 (.14).  Ran a nice and easy cooldown of .58 miles at 9:08 pace.  Total miles today 4.72.  I am still grossly nauseated.  Ready to eat completely nutritiously and spoil my body with goodness   : D.  Am I up for a TM marathon?  Sure hope so.  

The run was AWESOME.  Getting to the start was a different story.  My alarm didn't go off and luckily my daughter came in to get the dog and I groggily asked what was going on and glimpsed at the clock "crap, 6:21!!!!!!!!!".    The plan was to meet Josse at 630am at the Orem Rec center and run 10 out and 10 in, depending on the weather.    Flew into my clothes running around frantically and getting in my car at 6:26 am forgetting my headband and Gu.  Oh well.  Josse waiting for me was more important.  So like a bat out of you know where I sped to the rec center in record time.  There was only a light dusting on the roads covering some black ice at times, Eeeks with part of the driving.  Made it there about 6:41am.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSSE !!!!!  That would not have been good to stand her up.  If my brain stayed asleep longer in bed she would have left in a few minutes.  Basically I was jumped started and a lot of my adrenaline was used up that at the start of the run I felt like I had been hit hard.  WAKE UP!!   I did finally and my muscles slowly ridded myself of the 1/2 benadryl I took at 9pm.  No wonder I was a zombie.  I sure needed the sleep but not this way.  

The more exciting part was the gorgeous run from Orem Rec up the Provo Canyon to just under the overpass.  That's where the plowing ended.  The path was dusted over with snow and had some packed ice patches but totally doable and just overall fantastic wintery terrain.  We stopped once at Will's Pits Stop and two water stops at the same fountain that apparently runs all year round, thankfully.  Ice cold water, yes!!!  We blabbed about lots of stuff and picked it up well after the 9 mile mark (our turn around) and we went back the same way we came adding the first two miles of the T-day turkey trot around the rec center.  Avg pace for the 20 =  8:11.    Pace first mile 8:55.  Last mile 7:26.  The last five miles were quick.  We were wanting it over with.  Josse was keeping me goin'.   The birthday girl takes the cake today, that's for sure.  Thanks Josse for waiting and putting in the miles with me (not to mention having a spare headband).  PS I think we averaged better than our last 20 miler in the autumn air, amazing!!!!  :D.

Ran the 1420 ft elevation gain run--SUNCREST.  Starting at Smith's Marketplace.  NO WIND today so NO Excuses.  EXCEPT  I just ran 20 on Saturday and I am still getting quite nauseated OFTEN.  NOT PG.  Just something that has been happening to me.  Food allergies?  Inversion?  I don't know.  Started the run after dropping kids at school and going home to actually eat something first.  Waited an hour for some digestion then headed in my car to the start.  Ran up 6.16 miles.  Wowsers!!!  Heartrate a soaring and sweat glands a sweatin'!!  Made it there in record time.  Really only second time running this thing.  Have been dreamin' about running it so had to get out there and just run it.  Strength zapped a bit so instead of winds from outside I was the one breathing out the winds.  Hello breathing heavy.  Almost there, just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming.  Had some peaks and valleys moments.  Some times feeling dead sometimes alive.  Pace up 9:16 (last time 9:32).  Pace down 6:58.  Splits:  9:02, 9:05, 9:52, 9:14, 8:47, 9:33, 7:39, 7:13, 6:47, 6:31, 6:28, 7:16 *ran out of gas here, inversion air making my breathing difficult.  Holy Moly is the air thick!!    The further down I went the harder it was to breath and geez I am going downhill I shouldn't be feeling my breathing much at all.  I guess the uphill took it all out of me.  Avg pace for 12.32 miles=  8:06.  Last time on this run it was 8:18.  This entry is getting long.  So Bye.  PS I almost "saw the light" at the intersection.  An old man driving a Big truck didn't see me as he tried to make a right turn up Suncrest as I had a green light to go straight back to my car.  My arm hit his car.  He was dazed.  I was alive.  Lots of witnesses so no worries.  I hope to not die while running, but if I do,  I was probably enjoying myself before the end :D.  Sounds gruesome but sure hope its not--ever.  

Wow.  I got home at 710am from work.  Got in to bed at 730am and woke at 1:04pm.  Huge milestone.  I slept 5.5 hours.  Got up, ate and wanted to "just say no to running" but I gradually talked myself into it.  By the time I left I was very tired again.  Blah.  Slowly but surely I pushed myself through this run.  I gained on VP guy and ended up 16 seconds ahead of him.  Probably should have kept it easy.  Darn garmin.  Now as I write this a few hours later I am sooooooo tired my eyelids and limbs are wanting to crash.  But its dance time again after the break and I have to do all the carpooling of my girls.  So no rest for the weary quite yet.  7.02 miles @ 8:13 pace.  First mile 8:58.  Last mile 7:30.  First time I was sore in a run in a while.  It was from all that STEEP uphill yesterday followed by the STEEP downhill.  Goodnight, hopefully soon :D.

Garmin died at first .2 miles.  Battery needs recharging.  So do I.  Oh my what a gross run in the wicked inversion and moisture.   Ran a very hilly route on the benches of PG to try to avoid the inversion.  Didn't help.  Pace turtle-like.  Surprised this course tooled at 11.85 miles so that must be a good sign.  Need a very long nap.  Paid bills and took down Christmas decorations : (.

38 laps around the indoor PG rec track.  Slow and painful.  All of my joints are very achy, old lady like.  Really sensitive to smells right now on top of my usual aversion.  There was a strong smelling stinky candle burning in the foyer of the rec center and was blowing through the upstairs track vent system.  When you have this sensitivity you become hound-like.  I could probably be helpful in a CSI (crime scene investigation).  I can smell things others have no idea are around and low and behold they are.  Not a gift I enjoy having as the headaches, nerve and joint pain can become unbearable.   Then comes intense fatigue.  It comes in a pattern and lasts 3 to 5 days.  I will probably have to drop on the mileage this week for survival sake.  Avg pace 8:14 for 6.3 miles.  

Wasn't even going to run.  Woke with a terrific headache and intense fatigue.  I thought I slept well.  Gradually awakened enough to consider a run by 1145am.  Was only going to run 3.  So how does three turn into 7?  Let me count the ways:  Garmin is a gadget I can get hooked on.  When I ran 2 miles I was like I could add on here, and hey if I ran three and I am at this distance from my home why not just add on here?.....and there for that matter?....and I just kept going.  Although I knew I needed to end it soon.  Husband was waiting to go to lunch and I promised myself I would go easy the next few days, only get in 50 miles for the week.  That would be the lowest mileage in over 6 weeks for me.  I suppose I deserve it.  I work the next two nights so really I should be nice to myself.  Pace 8:32 for 7.06 miles.  See I was nice to myself.  : DDDDD.

Did not sleep well.  Too many weird disconnected dreams and felt like I was still awake.  Woke after 4 hours.   Slow to fall back to sleep for only 1.25 hours!!  Feeling nauseated got up ate some pretzels and a cutie pie (orange).  Decided to just get out there and run.  Blue sky that was notable when I arrived home from work at 715am, was pretty much a smoggy haze once again at 130pm.  It is keeping it a stagnant 25 degrees.  It is getting reeeeeaaaaallllllll old.  It is starting to wear on me with the lack of sunshine.  Trotted along for the first 4 miles at a 9 avg pace.  So just feeling "Dori-like".  So I just kept running until I felt like running.  I tried to just go easy and let my adrenaline re-fuel as I am depleted from my all work and no play situation.  I find if I go nice and easy my body is okay with going longer and eventually kicks in to the faster pace even though my brain is very tired.  I accidentally pee-d my pants.  Felt like I had to go but resisted and there were not good spots to go when I needed to and I had these tight biker shorts on under my old running pants so they were pressing hard on my weakened bladder and all the water I drank after my huge Cafe Rio salad yesterday.  I polished the whole thing off in one sitting.  I am probably the only girl, not obese, that does that in one sitting.  I couldn't eat for 10 hours after that.  I then pigged out again on a huge turkey bagel sandwich with fries to top it off and a V8 juice.  Apparently I wasn't feeding myself enough.  I woofed that down too.  Anyway, back to my loss of control on the run, other than initially feeling really warm after doing so, it quickly began to freeze my thighs and hurt my already sped up pace. So with windchill the temp probably dropped 10 degrees.  Oh well.  Cryotherapy comes in all forms.  This entry is getting too long.  Off to shower.  Avg pace for 11.5 miles=   8:18.  Almost gained on VP guy.  Just one more mile and he would have been toast.  Ran a route up in the hills of Cedar so not an easy course but one of my favorites.  First mile 9:14, fastest mile 7:04.   Last two miles 7:08 and 7:21.  Brief cooldown.  

Unhealthy

151 to 200

Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.

http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqibasics.aqi#unh

For your visual enjoyment.   Check out the link for the color definitions.  No, I am not running in this.  I will hit the gym.  Reading up on inversions we need a massive wind to remove it.  None coming up in the forecast for the week.  We are stuck in smuck.  Be thankful those of you outside the red zone.  May your runs outdoors be ever so wonderful.   Update:  10 miles at 8 min avg pace.  4 around the track, 6 on the TM.  I have a lot of tread missing on the bottom of my running shoes.  That must be why my bones have been aching the last week.  If I had time I'd post a picture of them.  They are PRETTY SCARY.  The fore and heel are destroyed.  Oooops. 

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Air Quality Index Levels of Health Concern	Numerical Value	Meaning
Good	0 to 50	Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk
Moderate	51 to 100	Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	101 to 150	Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
Unhealthy	151 to 200	Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Very Unhealthy	201 to 300	Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects
Hazardous	301 to 500	Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

 

Not sleeping well after night shifts.  Joints, mostly hips and sciatica, to the feet.  I am really achy, like just after having a baby.  So  I guess I will try my hardest NOT to run today.  I really need new sneakers.  They are so destroyed from the 60 mpw.  I am sure this air quality isn't helping.   Oh well, fresh air coming up soon.  We are leaving for California on Saturday morning after  I work two more nights.  Hello  Palm tree, warm air running.   To think we have to escape to California for cleaner air?   

Of course at the first sign of  blue sky I headed outdoors.  Honestly the indoor quality of is not much better for me.  Since I have so many sensitivities to fragrances I think it doesn't help me that much to run indoors except perhaps for Monday when we were in the red.  We are still in the red but at least it doesn't LOOK IT.  Can actually see all the mountains.  A big sign for me to head outdoors.  Did a nice 10 mile loop on a snowy path below Lone Peak High school coming from American Fork.  Ran down Cedar Hills back roads to home.  Avg pace 8:13.   Last three miles 7:21, 7:11, 6:49.   Got a little bronchial cough at the end so I guess air quality still poor.  Oh well, much better than indoors by a large margin.  1/2 mile cooldown.  Off to orthodontist.  Lots of changes happening fast.  Braces off soon.  One month  :D.   

Slept brief.  Not good.  Went Visiting Teaching at 130pm then ran 7 miles at 8:06 pace.  Two miles low 7s.  Picked up kids at school.  Decided to get three more in for a good wake me up cool down.  That was only a 10 minute between runs sweat starting to freeze.  Pace for 3---8:32.  INVERSION WORSE today...  but no time to go to gym and I like the outdoors better.  Warmer temps but a windchill today and the inversion makes it feel colder plus lack of sleep.  Off to work I go.  

3 hours of sleep after getting home at 730am from a VERY busy shift.  No down time really.  Eventually snuck out of the house for a run.  Slowly made my way to the canal.  Trail was packed with snow, ice and some areas of mud.   Difficutl terrain so pace variable and actually I just focused on moving my legs in a running form.  I was beat.  Head in a cloud.  Ran  over 8 miles on the trail.  Thought I saw cougar tracks or maybe a rather large dog.  There have been cougars up there before so possibly.  Made me a little nervous that I could have been preyed upon.  Basically this was a snow shoe/ice skating run without the right equipment.  Pace 8:53 for 12.25 miles.  Slowest mile 9:41, quickest 8:11.  Just nice and steady to get it done.  Not sure I will be able to run tomorrow before we leave early in the am for California.

Beach day in California.  Ran along the beach barefoot.  I saw a pier I wanted to see Troy run to.  He said it is over a mile a way.   I said "no way,  a 1/2 mile".  So of course while my kids and Troy waded in the ocean waves I ran along the tide to really see.  Felt nice on my feet but sand hard and soft in places and tide causing slanted footing.  But who cares, I am at the beach and little did I know this was the last day I would see the blue sky for a while.  Took over 12 minutes to reach the pier so guestimate was 1.2 miles (10 min. pace) but  I really don't know.  It was a lovely cool beach run.  Bikers and joggers filled the beach path along Long Beach.

10 on next door hotels TM.  My hotels TMs were beaten up so badly, the belts were wrinkled up.  This TM was fair, good enough to get some good running in.  Ran 10 at just under 8 minute average.  Felt great.  Thermostat set at 69 degrees in a small room.  I was sweating like I was in a sauna.  Made me feel like I was burning away the calories I was going to take in this week.  Incline 1 %.

Tried running outside.  Raining ever since Sunday night.  Yes, Disneyland day two in the rain.  Running outside not as nice as I remembered with the cool air and shorts.  Lots of stopping at the lights.  And since I am in better shape this year the stops seem longer and bugged me more.  Average pace for 9.25 miles 8:38 per garmin with all the starts and stops.  Didn't enjoy the rain run so much. Memories of SGM 2008 still lingering.  Now if it were warm that would be different.

Back to the TM room with a nice TV at least.  Wore iPod with each run.  Ran a nice warm up of about 3 miles then ran 7 min miles x 2 miles, 1.5 miles at 8 min pace, then 7 min. miles x 2 miles again.  Brief cooldown.  Incline 1 %.  Avg pace for all of 9 miles 7:50.    Sweating like a pig.  Really, tons of sweat dripping from my entire being.  Springing on to the TM. Heartrate fine, just really warm indoors at 69 degrees.  Feels quite detoxifying.

Impromptu hill workout on TM in the sauna room : D.  Warm up at 9 to 9:10 pace then ran an incline run from 1 % to 6 % increasing it 1/2 % every minute to get to 6% for two minutes then ladder down to 2 %.  Pace at 8:41 for first ladder and 8:27 for second ladder.  Total of at least 40 minutes of good hill running.  Felt strong like I could have pushed it more on pace and incline but hey, I am on vacation and walking in the rain all day every day this week around Disneyland.  Walking, walking and walking IN THE RAIN, did I say that already?

A little speedwork impromptu.  None of these runs were planned.  I just get on the TM and see what my body and mind is up for.  Warmed up for a few miles then decided to do SW by running 1/2 mile x 5 and the last SW a mile repeat.  Paces were at 6:36, 6:36, 6:31, 6:31, 6:31 and the mile was at 6:27 avg.  Incline 0 for these to just let my legs go.  The last bit of the repeats I would increase the incline to 1%.  Recovery in between was at 8:27 minute miles for 90 seconds.  Felt really comfortable.  Could have done more but hey I am on vacation and I got to get out there in the rain and start our last day riding and walking around Disneyland. 

Easy run on TM before taking off for home at 8:15 am.  Ran at 5am California time for just over an hour at 1 to 2 % grade at 8:29 average pace.  Sweat sweat sweat.  Record time drive to home -- 8 hours 45 minutes. One 5 minute stop.  Work tonight.  Slept every night this past week for 8 hours each night.  Oh what a feelin'.  Back to the grindstone.  up all night trying to get the miles in wherever and whenever I can. 

Utah air really is bad.  Wow in the first few minutes I was so missing my sweltering runs on  the TM in California.  Now that is saying something.  Air just thick and still "inverted".  Argh.  But I just kept going outside for 10.5 miles up to Cedar Hills and beyond a bit.  Good hills of course.  Just was hoping to stay ahead of VP guy and get in a few good MP miles (just 3).   Ran steady and glad I didn't have to stop for lights like California.  Just hoofed it up some great inclines and kept the pace at an easy just under 7 pace on a few downhills.  Work again tonight so trying not to freak my body out by no longer sleeping 8 hours a night.  Actually Saturday night shift was very easy.  I never got tired until walking to my car.  We were really busy which helped.  Splits:  8:45 (sl uphill, tired), 8:34, 8:23 (uphill), 8:14 (uphill), 8 :04, 7:58 (sl uphill), 8:02 (big uphill), 6:57 (down), 6:58 (down), 6:56 (down),  1/2 mile cooldown at 8:33.  Avg pace for 10.5=  7:55.  Beat VP guy by a large margin.  I better decrease his pace soon and work harder, NOT.

This run was done at 410pm broken up into two by 35 minutes.  I call it my get it done whenever you can kind of run.  Wasn't even going to run and then I saw a glimpse of sun on the sparkly new fallen snow and thought I should give it a go.  Started at my daughter's dance academy in Cedar Hills did a lovely 3.6 mile loop.  Felt rejuvenated.  One mile at 7:35.   8:15 avg pace.  Then drove to pick up oldest daughter and do the child switch and bring my other daughter home.  Took off from home for an easy 3.4 miles at 8:20 pace.  Total miles= 7.  Second run getting darker so mood lowered.  Missing so much my friend The Sun.  No iPod.   Just me and my breathing in the inverted air.

Last Fridays workout in the extended version.  Got out the door at 10 am and ran to PG rec center (nice and uphill for the first 1.5 miles) at 8:45 avg pace (9:09, 8:49, 8:18)  for 3.  My first get in the mood warm up.  Then got on the TM for another warmup.  I have to always warmup starting out on a TM.  1% incline for 3 miles at avg pace of 8:35.  I was trying to get in the mood for my speed workout.  Moved the incline to level (0).  Was tempted to put it in downhill mode as I saw that it could do that by the picture on the TM but overcame that notion.  I miss my ol' TM in California.  This one here has too many gadgets.  I just want pace and MPH please.  But eventually I got used to all the numbers it was spitting out at me.  Ran 1/2 mile repeats X  5 at 6:35, 6:31, 6:27, 6:22, 6:18 then my last mile at avg of 6:20.    The last mile I was losing my focus and wanted it to be done and was tempted to stop early but pushed through it and managed to put the pace at 6:06 for a few seconds.  Almost at throwup zone.   The guy next to me looked like he was in shock as he walked and then ran, then walked and then ran.  I tried not to notice.  This mounted to 4.5 miles total as I did 90 seconds rest running at 8:21 pace in between each one.  Ran 1.5 miles cooldown on the TM at 8:06 avg pace.  Ran home the same 3 mile (8:28, 8:08, 8:06) route at an avg pace of 8:13.   Amazing how a little SW on the TM keeps me going easier outside.  I didn't allow myself to cooldown much between the changes of running scenery.  Sorry long report, huh?  Now to vaccum the basement and someday get myself to the running store to actually get some shoes that aren't "ZEROES" by default.  Seriously no tread left.  Why bother getting zeroes if I made my own zeroes?  

Started real slow. Recovery run.  Which I don't always tolerate the really easy pace for very long.  I keep seeing VP guy moving away from me on the screen.   HEY !!!!!!  Anyway tried not to care so at least kept it so he stayed ON the screen.  Kinda achy today after yesterday's SW on the TM.  Quite nauseated too.  Ate an hour before and I could feel it swishing around wanting to come up.  That was probably why I had to tone it down at the beginning.  I wanted to get 10 in and the last two miles were me holding to the rod to get it done.  Did a varied route all over the place to get the miles in.  Always involves hills here in PG.  10 miles at 8:30 pace even.   

Another "wish I didn't feel like a drunk running moment".   I wasn't going to run to rest up for tomorrow but I felt so nauseated from the night shift that if I do a bit of a run the feeling can subside.  So I set out to run 3 and ended up running over 5.   Didn't look at my watch and ran by feel.  Hid my garmin under my sweatshirt and what control, I didn't look at it once until I got back at 4.5 miles and saw I should round up to 5 for Smooth and oops went over again and said I might need that extra .21 miles someday.  I am sure I can think of some reason to bank on it.    5.21 miles @ avg pace 8:29.   First mile 9:13.  Quickest 7:51.  So I was getting in the groove by mile 4.  It takes me so long to warm up and feel alive after a night shift.  Now I am ready for a few more but I was going to try and relax.  Maybe eat something.  The funny thing about running sleep-deprived is how a little white snow mound can look like a giant hairball or movement to the side of my face can look like an impending rainstorm.  Blah, blah.    I need a new record.  This one is getting real old.

Left my house at 5:40am.  Ran to Kim's slowly and ever so freezingly.  Brrrrr.  Where's my rainforest (CA)?  All decked out in my 80s gear with my ever so gently used 800 miles and still ticking running shoes.  I have hated these shoes since I bought them so they deserve this treatment but my nerves are starting take their toll.  Just shooting nerve pains bilaterally from my buttocks into my hamstrings so just made this run more of a jaunt then anything.  I had pretty much a shuffle gait the entire way with occasional kick backs to my butt with my feet to try to waken the legs and un-numb the bumm.  We were  all stiff.  Kim and I picked up Jane a few houses down and ran for 7.25 miles (an hour) then picked up Kerri to run the last 10+  miles.  I ended running a little longer with Kerri while Kim and Jane took a short cut thru the trees because Kim had to pick up her daughter.  We were definitely running slower than usual.  Kim had a cold and Jane and I were in no mood to go fast.  Kerri was glad too.  We were in full conversation about this and that and took two potty stops.  It was a pretty hilly run as the second loop took us way up to the golf course at the mouth of AF Canyon then down by the pond behind Lone Peak then up and over Cedar Ridge Rd.  A double figure eight kind of course.  We never pushed the pace.  Got a couple of 8s in.  I deserve all the pancakes I smelled along the route.   So yummy.  We wanted to just knock on some doors and invite ourselves in.  We liked that the sun came out today.  Shocker.  But not until the last 25 minutes of our run. The mountains just hid our morning sun too long for the Winter.  Avg pace 8:30 for 21 miles.  Yippee.  Addendum:   I also think I was pretty dehydrated.  Never felt like I had to pee.  The two stops were for the others.  The generalized lower leg achiness a giveaway.  Drank 2 ounces of water only, one cutie pie (tiny orange), and one gu on the run.  I didn't eat much yesterday.  Ooops.

How to begin?  First, I never was and never will be (I'm turning 41 next Sunday) a track star.  I always and always will HATE speedwork unless I run considerably slower than some stupid  program puts me at.  So yes  I decided to follow some plan to see if I can improve my MP at Ogden starting at the 15 weeks to go.  So I ran like this after a 3 mile warmup at 1 % incline nice and easy:   1200m (6:11), 1000 (6:07), 800 (6:03), 600 (6:00), 400 (5:56), 200 (5:49).     Rest Interval (RI) was ONLY 200m.   At first I just ran them at a 9 minute mile pace then pretty much dying after the third one I decided to put the TM at 3.7 mph and gradually increase it back to 6.7 mph (8:57).  This, at least, gave me a longer RI then less one minute, more like 90 seconds.  PHEW!! and  YIKES!!  I wasn't at puke zone but  I was at OXYGEN DEBT and I want to stop this TM now zone!!!    It was a lot easier SLOWLY jogging the RIs.  The plan says to do that so I guess for a good reason.  Ran a 3.5 mile cool down.  Total miles 10 exact (thinking of you Smooth) at 7:52 avg pace.  P.S.  It didn't help that I went night skiing (first time this season) with my kids and husband at Sundance after my 21 miler.  Skating with my 7 year old held on to my pole to get her in the line- did this several times- caused a nice sciatic problem on the left to resurface.  NO soreness however anywhere.  A few morning getting out of bed aches but that's all.  Just a nagging sciatic pain.  Got Troy to give me a massage last night.  That helped. 

Nice GA run.  Would have left earlier but woke up to a muscle cramp in my leg (reminds me when I was 7 months pregnant, I would get them all the time) and leg pain was still nagging.  I took some yoga moments after only sleeping less than 3 hours getting up and trying to do some piano playing then tried reading church magazines to lull me back to sleep.  Nothing worked.  By the time stretching was done at 210pm,  I felt like running.  Much to my surprise it was warmer than usual and the sun was actually out again--thats two days in a row-- like a long lost friend back in my life.  I should have left earlier to enjoy it longer but could only get in 3.61 miles at 8:32 pace.  Then flew out of my house to make  it to staff meeting by 3pm until 6pm (luckily I am exactly 1.1 miles from the hospital where I work : D).  Oh my.  I sat there with a grumbly tummy and a tired head but the run at least revived me for the first hour of it.   I was sad to just let the warm daylight disappear before my eyes sitting there...oh how I wish I were running out there then.  Now its dark and chilly and I need a nice long restful sleep before the big T tomorrow.  

MTR (medium tempo run).  7 miles at .5% to 2 % incline at 7:19 pace.  3 mile warm up.  1.25 mile cooldown.  No cheating.  Kept it the same the whole time with no stopping.  Not sure I am ready for all this working out.  And I am sorry to say I ate 2 m&ms before vowing off sugar for February.  

RR run at GA pace.  I guess.  I don't know I just ran by feel and rarely looked at my garmin.  Ran this way and that through the dregs of AF and PG.  Some scary abodes some ever so lovely.  The show HOARDERS should come visit some of the homes I saw today.    Did enjoy the sidewalk run, though, with all the bumps and cracks and slants and some snow packs.  I went from sidewalk to sidewalk enjoying the sounds of birds chirping and fire engines roaring (around mile three a fire engine and ambulances stopped at a house two blocks in front of me.  I could hear them a ways off and then they showed up in front of me in a remote street, weird.  Didn't look like a house was on fire.  I am thinking carbon monoxide alarm.  Who knows.)  Anyway I was enjoying my ever so at ease pace but my joints began to bug me as my hips are out so my sciatica flares up.  It actually first shows as joint pain, so I change my gait and then my fourth toe has sharp nerve-like pain in it.  Sure enough I do some back stretches and my toe is no longer in pain.  Got out late so feel like I have tons to do so better go soon.  Have a very high protein (lots of lentils etc... whole wheat pasta, brown rice...soup a brewing.  Day two of chocolate detox going well.  I really already had been doing really well about no treats except chocolate chips.  Had a wicked headache last night but hopefully three days and I will be fine.  Ran 10.76 miles at an easy 8:42 pace.  First mile 9:34.  Last mile 8:14.  

PMP (predicted MP + 45 sec) =  goal of 7:49 for 13 miles with Kim today.  We ran 1800 North west then up a winding road to 700 north (above Costco) headed East then to before AF cementary then head North past the Gazebo Park (I call it that) and up to the road Mtn Ridge Jr. High is on and turned right towards there then right again down Alpine Hwy then thru Lone Peak Park via West Park Rd and up and over past Lone Peak High School crossing over by Walmart and turning right at the roundabout to Henley (sp.?) Rd then west to Farm Rd and some funky looping around Kim's to get us to 13 even. I think we ran well.  Had a headwind as the storm was gaining on us but not too bad.  So glad we went at 5:35am as now the storm is showing its face.  We were at conversation pace and did 5 miles at 7:32, 7:32, 7:33, 7:39, 7:39.  Only two miles above an 8.  One was the first warm up mile at 8:28 that was uphill for me.  The other was a significant uphill by AF jr. high at 8:04 pace.  The other miles were steady inclines with some better downhill near the end.  We ended with a strong mile of 7:39  with more than half of it being uphill and  lots of turning around several times to get to 13 at her house.  13 miles avg pace 7:50.  Missed 7:49 by 13 seconds.  Oh well.  Ran a cool down mile to my house at a trot pace of 9:08.  Carried my B-day present from Kim--  Two cadbury, one dark, one caramel, chocolate bars and a pair of nice addidas running socks.  So sweet!!  I will try not to break into the chocolate bar until Monday.  But I have to say that I had a strong craving at 3 am this morning and was about to give into temptation.  I am not sure how long I can hold out.  Total miles 14.12. Work the weekend, both nights.

got home at just after 7am.  Got in bed at 7:35.  Woke at 12:09.   Yay, 4.5 hours of sleep be it daytime sleep it is more than 3 hours.  And that's with a little sleep aid 1/2 tab of xanax.  So of course I wasn't quite in the mood to run at first and even tried to fall back to sleep.  To no avail.  I decided to get up drink ice cold water to fully awake myself, see my kids, feed them lunch then leave on my run by 1:40pm.  I should just leave when I think of running because the more I wait the more tired I get.  Oh well.  Just told myself to go at 10 min pace and enjoy the fresh air.  It was warm-- 40 degrees I think and was quite pleasant rockin' out to Troy's music on his $30 dollar cheapo player as I killed my iPod on Tuesday's run. Short as that run was my iPod had been taking a beating with my sweaty runs in California and then my runs with this new protector that I could see was locking in the moisture after runs.  Gradually the buttons wouldn't work and then presto no more music, no more lit up screen.  Bummer.  Looked this up on the internet and found a guy who had "ruined" at least 20 iPods from his sweat.  He has a long blog about his frustration there.  Funny.  Mine has lasted 3 years I think. Still bummed.  Figure something 100 dollars should last longer.  Anyway, Troy's music more rockin' then mine so it at least kept me awake for the run.   I grazily ran towards the PG rec thinking of doing some TM miles but the AQ was so nice I just stayed outside and headed up the hills of East PG.  Just mozied along without a care and it felt great.  Each mile I felt more and more alive and not more and more like a zombie arising from the grave.  I felt renewed and reflected on my last run as a 40 year old.  Tomorrow I turn 41.  A Sunday, so no running on my b-day.  A rest day of all things.  What a present.  Did an awesome steep hill loop and breathed in some great pine smells mixed with the melting snow.  So lovely.  Thought my pace would be 9:30 to 10 avg so was glad to see it at 8:51 for 11.1 miles.  Off to work I go. 

"SUGAR BAD FOR YOU"  This is said with a chinese accent.  It is a quote from Dr. Wong, cardiologist  I saw a few years ago for all my skipping heart beats and difficulty getting my heartrate down after exercise.  Turns out his ancient secret is right.  When I stopped eating tons of treats  20 months ago I began to feel better and my heart no longer skipped many beats except in cases of extreme fatigue or an allergen exposure like perfume.  No more HR problems after excersize too.  Where am I going with all this?  Well I am glad I chose yesterday in place of today for my free day because starting at midnight (Sunday  Morning) on my birthday  I was bombarded with treats.  First we started light- a veggie tray with  chips and dip then there was one of those cakes with TONS of white thick frosting. Followed by ice cream.  Well why stop there?  I decided to devour the last two donuts from my mother in law in a single sitting after arriving home from work in the morning yesterday.  It felt great going in but I knew I was in for it as my body tried to process it.  Needless to say I did not sleep well.  Less than 3 hours.  But hey its my birthday why lay there in my bed?  Got up and came downstairs to a vision of a double chocolate cake Troy and my littlest made for me.  Oh no.  Just when I was done with the treats already...but how could I turn away a present?  An hour later a ring at my doorbell and a present again revealed 4 chocolate frosted brownies with a layer of pink and red frosting and sprinkles.  Valentine-like.  Oh man, what next?  I managed to hold out until after dinner and Family Home Evening for a large piece of chocolate cake with milk.  No brownie.  Then, I could not fall asleep until 10pm.  Got up at 7:45 am and low and behold my vision had wavy lines all through it .  I have had this before.  It can be an aura to a migraine.  It is called scintillating scotoma.  It comes from the occiput region of the brain not the eyes.  I had surgery there but basically I know it is from the lack of sleep mixed with WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR, so help me.  I honestly feel like I have a hangover, although I have never had one of those per se.  But it doesn't end there...as I opened the front door to watch my daughter leave for school her carpool is yelling " Courtney take the cookies, take the cookies!!!"  What are they talking about?  I looked down and there was a card and a large plate of those sugar cookies with a chocolate KISS on them.  What?  So far no brownie or cookie has been consumed and after today's detox wicked run I have to refrain.  I am going to give them to my kids slowly over the week in their lunches.  My run today was so difficult and I bet it is because "SUGAR BAD FOR YOU!".    Here are the brief details of my run:  5 by 1K (1000m or .625miles)with 400m recovery lap  after a 4.1 mile warm up (3.1 mile run at 8:37 to the rec).  Goal was all at 6:08.  But that was clearly not going to happen.  I ran this pace for them:  6:18, 6:15, 6:11, 6:09, 6:07.  I should have switched TMs earlier by the third one the off balance TM was getting ridiculous.  It shook greatly when I turned it up on the SW.  Ahhh so much better on the last one.  So basically the first four were like I was on a ship.  This was not helping my head.  I was getting a bit dizzy.  I am prone to seasickness.  I use to get carsick all the time.  Anyway, survived it.  Head is pounding.  Ran home 3.1 miles @ 8:49 pace.  Total miles 12.5.

Slept less than three hours.  Right up there on lack of sleep runs.  It was difficult but I gradually "awakened" on my run.  Avg pace 8:28 for 5.5.  Ran a two mile loop 2.5 times switching directions three times.  Picked up my car (ran out of gas on my way home from work this morning and I am only a mile a way from work--pathetic I know, but I like to push my car on empty, just like I push myself).  Troy had exchanged the gas-less suv, filling it with 2 gallons of carry-out gasloine, with our Honda.  I was glad the sun was out but the air was chilly.  I sprinted the last .05 miles and got the garmin to read maximum (best pace) 5:42 per mile.  And that wasn't even all out so that was nice to see.  Weird running when muslces, brain and limbs feel all disconnected.  I just keep telling myself "this won't last forever" and somehow I can get thru each day.  I am doing much better than last year at this same time dealing with the lack of sleep thing.  I getting slightly more adjusted.  

Mid-Tempo Run Day.  Wasn't looking forward to running on tired legs, they feel tight in the upper thighs to the buttocks.  Need a deep massage and some stretching.  Sleep still not great but better last night to get in over 8 hours, it just didn't feel rejuvenating.  I guess I need another Disneyland trip.  The nights there were soooo luxurious.   Okay I'll take Hawaii instead.  Anyway, ran to the rec and added on a mile to get 4 miles there.  Warmup mile on the TM at 1 % incline, was going to change it to zero for the tempo run but I decided to test myself and keep it at 1% telling myself I could turn it downanytime to make it feel easier.  I always take the bait.  After the warmup I ran these mile paces:  7:08, 7:08, 7:03, 7:03, 6:59.   Goal was 7:05 avg so I think I got that right on.  Felt very controlled and if my butt and hips weren't tight it would have been really nice.  I am off to Olive Garden for Birthday Luncheon.  My mother in law gave me a gift card there.  Too bad I can't have dessert...for a while.  I did drink 8 ounces of gatorade though as I am out of Orange Juice.  Work the next two nights.  Should average exactly 60 miles this week.  Just keeping it real :D.  EXCITED for the WINTER OLYMPICS.  I would have loved to be an Olympic Cross Country Skier.

Progressive feel like a runner run.  Was feeling yucky, just one more night.  BTW I wake up while I am at work and do really well staying with it and alive.  Hence my problem with staying alive during the day when I should be sleeping and can't.  Anyway.  Told my husband I wasn't going run.  Then ate a banana and peanut butter toast and taped on the valentine chocolate kisses to my kids Valentines they wrote out last night.  Figure I would try to get a run in at 250pm.  So just got out and slowly came alive and legs in the mood by mile 3.  Got my pace to 6:53 at one point.  The whole run began to feel easy especially at 7:20 pace.  Since first miles were turtle like overall pace was 8:18 avg.  Was supposed to be a recovery run anyway.  No over doing it.  I work in pediatrics tonight.  Luckily it is at the hospital closest to my home :D.  Probably be a long night.  

The extreme no sleep thing is wearing on me that I don't think I will convince myself to get out today.  No words to describe.  My shift was long, working hard for very ill children.  I think I will just enjoy walking around in my newly zeroed sauconys.  They feel great walking around.  My head is in the clouds and my mind fuzzy that neurologically I need to give my body a break.  So much for 60 miles this week unless I turn my 13 miler into 20 tomorrow.  I'd say the chances for that is 50/50.  I've been known in these parts to be a not so anonymous insane runner : D.   I am toying with the idea of a cycling class tonight.   I hope there isn't one available on Fridays so I am not tempted.  Need to go read the rec center's calendar and that's too far away right now (bedroom closet).  I am drifting as I write this so I am going to try to sleep again.  I also will be getting in some walking passing out flyers for the Valentine's Social tomorrow night.  Chocolate Fondue Fountain will be served.  Sorry but I think I am taking another free 1/4 day.  I haven't been able to stick full-heartedly to this no sugar/chocolate thing because otherwise I wouldn't make it thru my shifts in a happy mood.  Probably an excuse but chocolate really boosts my mood before working all night.  Oh well.  I should do better that I don't work until Monday night then have another three nights off then repeat the 5 of  7 night thing again.  Luckily I like my job and really love it when I am working with the babies :  D.   "Wo unto the unintentional LIAR for she shall not....I don't know where I am going with this except...wearing my zeroes around and still not sleeping I told myself to just jog to Kim's and show her my new shoes and that I was wearing the socks she gave me.  She lives a mile a way.  It was 5:15pm. Well, I woke up after my 10:20 minute first mile and the cool sun going down air was just so relaxing that I kept trotting along feeling more and more alive and free.  My legs and feet felt awfully light in my new shoes and I wore shorts with a headband and gloves etc...   I felt so refreshed with every mile.  I kept it easy and my legs were lovin' me.  Did manage to speed it up naturally that avg pace was 9:12 for 7 miles.  I ran on sidewalks and dirt sides of road to try out the shoes.  I am liking them.  Time will tell.  But first day on them very reassuring.  I guess this run means I am not running 20 tomorrow.  Ahh.  Just an easy 13 to make 60.  My nose is not growing.....yet.

13 (.26) Dreadful miles.    Wish to blame it on the wind, the cold, lack of sleep, new shoes and no interest.   Was doing well until I stopped and my body froze up and I couldn't run any longer.  My new shoes were ailing me and I just couldn't keep going.  I started strong and finished dreadfully slow.  I almost called my husband from Walmart in Cedar Hills.  And these last three miles were downhill.  No umph in my umph.  No nothing.  It was a definite Forrest Gump moment.  I sure hope this is a brief phase.  I surely felt like I had never ran before in my life (the last 4 miles).  Well, at least I made it to 60 miles for the week.  That is the only positve in this string of sadness.  I feel down.  Depressed.  I am sure I need to just run more :  D......later, another day.  Looking forward to rest day.  Off to put on a Valentine's Party for our ward.  A chocolate fountain should cheer me up.  I think I need a Smoothie : D.

Taking it down a notch.  May hit 50 this week, may not.  I really need to give myself a break.  Went to the Rec center.  Warmed up on the TM  for 2.5 miles and threw in at least a 1/4 mile repeat at 6:27 to 6:35.  Then went to a cycling class.  Second one ever.  The first was over two years ago.  It kicked my butt big time.  I think I am putting it at a high level to match my running on SW days.  I was definitely pushing it or I am out of biking shape.  Hope this helps my speed.  It should.   Ran another 2.5 miles with another 1/4 mile repeat at 6:27.  Avg pace 7:54 for 5.  Shoes feeling a bit better, or at least my body is.  They kind of turn my knees inward. Not sure why?    OLYMPIC SKIING TOO AWESOME!! LOVE THE mogul event for Women and then the Nordic combined.  Soo wishing U.S. came in first there but hey its the first medal ever in nordic since 1924 first olympics.  We'll take silver.  HE did awesome!!!  I was off my bed cheering.  I also soooooo loved the short track speed skating, Go Apollo!!!

I took a few steps towards starting a run then turned around.  I am really tired.  I am not sure I will run today.  Decided to eat something, watch some Olympics, take another nap.  I am not sure why I have lost that runnin' feeling.

Ran to the rec a nicer but longer route.  This took a fork lift but somehow I made it to the door by almost 11am.  Oh my did the start feel so agonizing.  There just was no zip to my zap.  I slept over 8 hours and still I wanted to sleep more.  I think the Olympic viewing plus working nights and trying to be a runner has taken my zap away.  Adrenal fatigue is probably the cause for this crash and its hard to zip out of it.  But I did my best and overall I am happy I pushed myself.  So 4 mile run to the rec at 8:33 pace, each half mile increasing the pace starting with a 9:30 pace.  Love the rolling hills there.  Got on TM and ran another mile,  increasing  the speed every 30 to 90 seconds to 7:24 pace just before "take off".   Ran the scheduled plan of 3 miles at short tempo pace:   6:49, 6:49 and 6:35  (0 to 1% incline) in a  row,  no stopping.    The last .1 miles I increased it to 6:11 pace. Could have run them faster especially the end but was feeling like I shouldn't push it too much yet.  My lower back, buttocks and hamstrings have some intense nerve pain and soreness that I just ignore.  This could still be part of adrenal fatigue as these are symptoms listed on line.  Got to get rid of the right shoe uneven problem before I get a serious injury.  It is causing my foot to turn inward and some slight pain in the arch.  I am heading to the peddler right after I shower.  Ran a two mile "cooldown" on the TM at 7:35  (.5% incline) pace then ran home the four mile route at 7:47 pace  (5:55 fastest pace on garmin : D).  Laid on the grass meditating.  It felt great to be done.  So my 10 miler turned into 15?   Who would have guessed?  

After getting hyped up watching the Olympics last night (Lindsay Vonn's Gold etc...) I tossed and turned all night in and out of imaginary Olympic moments for myself  (jk).  But I do imagine myself flying thru the Giant Slalom course and Sprinting on the X-Country ski course.    The Five Circles zipping my zap again until the wee hours of the morning as I take off on a run with Kim in the rainfall that turned to snow as I stepped outside at 5:45am.  Lovely.  Hey, the Olympics postpone their runs in this weather, what are we doing?  Well, been thru worse, most of us, at SGM 2008 so why the whining?  After dodging tons of puddles along the entire course, Disneyland revisited, we managed a fairly good pace of  8:05 for 10.13 miles.  Wow, to be done so early, now what to do?  BTW sneakers felt pretty good, too bad new shoes had to be run in the rain/snow.  After stretching I decided to try my old shoes on.  I didn't realize how much of a heel cushion and lift they had.  Quite a different feel.  Like the flat feel better.  Let's hope I can gain some better biomechanics from this.  

I tried the Michellel workout.  It was snowing out the entire time but still I set up my garmin as Michelle emailed me and I wanted to try it out.  I ran a 3 mile warm up at 9:05 pace and looped around Discovery park and decided I would do all my intervals around this loop so I wouldn't have distractions (speeding cars, etc..).  Well, still had some distractions even in the snow fall.  A man was walking his unleashed apparently tame dog and a community truck was driving on the loop for a bit, whatever?  Anyway that didn't happen until a few moments into it so I just kept up with the plan and pushed the lap button to start.  I wasn't ready for speedwork after SW Wednesday and the early run yesterday so I was not pushing it to the max I could have.    I was also thirsty at the start.  Tried to eat some fallen snow to wet my whistle.   The shoes are also causing some issues again.   Not enough heel cushioning and my body is not  quite adjusted.  It's only been two days on the exchanged pair.  I am kind of impatient.  My left achilles started to burn by interval 7.  I ran one minute on one minute off x 15.  Loved the little five seconds of beeps to warn you when its almost over and when its almost time to start.  There is a good uphill in this loop and I seemed to hit it during  the SW instead of recovery  time more than I would have liked.  You should be able to tell with my splits, but I will star them.  Here are my much slower than Michelle's splits:  6:26, 6:25, *6:40, 6:06, 6:26, *6:43, 6:16,  6:27,  6:15,  6:25, *6:49, 6:09, 6:37, *6:53, 6:05, 6:20.  Last one coming into the hill again but pushed.    My recovery minutes ranged from 7:48 (oops) to 9:13.  Avg was about 8:40 on them.  Ran home 1.8 miles at 8:27 pace.    I like this work out.  The miles go by without thinking about them cause you are thinking about that minute instead and lovely minute of recovery,  ahhhhh!!

BURNING NERVE PAIN  yikes!!  from the left lower back, piformis etc....to the knee and down around the achilles tendon ending at the side of my foot, pain score 7 out of 10.  Can't do much but stretch and heat pad as I work again tonight.  Last night was busy and painful.   Blah.  Stupid new shoes.  I tried to put on my old shoes again and they just feel too strange now.  Great, now a pair of shoes screwing up my back and my old ones not showing any more longevity.  Time to research for better shoes.   Addendum......but don't think that's going to stop me (I am developing my ultra marathon psyche) I just got back from a 6.5 miler determined to punish my shoes for hurting me by trying to see if the correction lies within me.  I started out easy hoping to run the burning pain away by endorphins.  It worked.  I may pay for it tonight at work but at least after 3 miles I didn't really think of the burning pain but more on my form, accidentally at times gettin into the high 6s in pace so slowed it down.  Tried to figure were my comfort form pace is.  I think it is at 7:12 to 7:20.  That would be my avg pace for my SGM pace last year.  Go figure.   Avg pace for 6.5 supposed recovery run 8:08.  I even have the VP dude turned off. 

Weekend was tough.  Work very busy.  3/4 of the babies born needed extra support.  Storks are working overtime.  Slept three hours yesterday face down in my couch as I tuned into the Olympics for probably 5 minutes tops.  That was yesterday...today I got out at 9:45am. Ran to rec center 4 miles at 8:21 pace then got on TM thinking  I could run speedwork on a zipped zap.  Started out okay but as I progressed my achilles  burning pain was back so called it quits early.  I am beginning to think this is an electrolyte problem.  My muscles are starved for fuel and then take all my calcium.   Since the injury went away after running easily Saturday  and fueling up and then did not bother me running to the rec center.  Anyway ran 2 by 1200 (.75 miles) at 6:10 pace 0.5 % incline.  2 minute rest interval between each one then started on the 4 X800 but ended after 1.25 of them.    1.25 !!!!!!  I was dizzy from lack of fuel and my achilles was talking so over!!  Ran the first one at 6:07 pace and the 200 at 6:07.  I didn't want to risk an intenser pain in the ankle.  I still had to run home 4 miles.  So I stretched, did a few weights (first time in years) for 15 minutes and slowly made my way to the door.  My ankle bugged the whole way but found a way to land where it didn't burn so much.  Pace really slow.  Not not excited to mention it but I will,  9:25.  I just wanted to be home and didn't have my ruby slippers to take me there sooner.  I am glad it clear out but the air is cooler even with the sun.  Oh well, can't have both...yet.

Long nursery night, but ended holding a real cutie!!  I love just taking the time to hold the babies.  And that's just what they want, as the moms want their sleep.  Drifted off at first for three hours then started my Olympic viewing and drifted briefly once more.  Then after watching all the cross country relays I just got some zip to my zap so I headed out for a few easy miles.  Ran 6 at 8:17 pace.  A square route "enjoying" the sounds of zooming cars taking 1100 north to Albertsons and up Alpine highway back on 1800 North.  It kept me on my toes to avoid right turning cars and jagged sidewalks.  Felt as good as I could for the post night shift.  Like the sun being out longer.  Still cool air.  Its better going out at 2pm when the earth has warmed up a bit.  Achilles still "On Fiah!!".  It stems from the hip on account of the shoes but really I tried my old ones once more and they felt like I had some giant cushion under my heels.  Not even remotely comfortable.  I need to trash them once and for all. 

SW.  Midtempo Run x 5 miles (goal 7:05).  Ran  5 @ 7:02 avg (first 4.5 at 7:03--.5% incline) since that's the pace on the TM, last 200m picked it up to 6:31 at 0 % incline.  Have to say it was fine the first two miles but then the Soap Operas on the TV at the rec were unmotivating and my shaking TM was too dizzying to look at so my form started to falter.  When I thought about form it felt much better.  Ran with an ace bandage on my left ankle.   It didn't bother me at all during or after the run this way.  I must have a weak ankle that showed its colors with my zeroed shoes forcing it to make a change.  Ran three mile warm up (9:00, 8:30, 8:00) and two mile "cooldown".  Avg pace for last seven was 7:23 so cooldown wasn't so down.  I kept it at 8 avg after the first lap.  Feel really good right now, not at all wasted as I do after max VO2  runs.  I also slept last night.  Work the next two nights.  Ate a hearty lunch-- turkey on whole wheat with honey dijon and homemade raspberry jam, lettuce and tomato.  Homemade salsa with cottage cheese and "natural" potato chips.  I think I will watch some more Olympics.  I am sure I will go through withdrawals next week.  

Recovery run.  7 easy at 8:38 pace.  Windy but surprisingly not as cold as I thought after having snowed last night  : D. 

Very Easy hill run included.  6.25 @ 8:52 pace.  Enjoyed the sunlight!!!  And yay  I just completed my 5th out of  7 night shifts!!  Now I get three off.  They always go by so quickly but I am so happy to arrived at this point again!!  Going long tomorrow...hope I can waken early to join my friends.  I guess I will just force myself to.  Did power lunges up and down the stairs at AF hospital times 17 minutes at 330am.   Used coworkers iPod and had great workout sweating it out to the beat.  I got so revved up I could have gone for run around the halls : D.

Ran the BIG WORKOUT, revised edition.  I don't know why I thought a third SW in a week (although the first one this week was cut short pathetically) was necessary but I wanted the 18 miles to fly by.  They went by quickly but man they hurt more.   Especially after the power lunges Friday at 330am.  Should have known 24 hours later I would be tight/sore.  Picked up Kim, Kerri and Jane at 635am and drove to the JRP 1500 north start and ran north 5 miles.  We were doing great on our warm up with an avg at 8:25 then we ran 4 x 2 miles with a mile at easy pace in between sets.   We lived for our rest miles.  The first one was pretty funny as we had no idea it would turn in to a 6-7% grade uphill in places especially the second mile it was intensely uphill.  We ran those under goal pace. The wind picked up and we were huffing and puffing.  When Kim stops  talking that's saying something.  

PART  ONE including 3 mile warm up.  Here are all the splits to mile 15 (*MP miles):  8:45 (dirt pile, road block), 8:24, 8:14, *7:25 Hill, *7:49 EVEN STEEPER HILL, 8:32 (back down hill, ahh, too bad it's a rest mile), *7:01, *7:07, 8:49, *7:08 (turned around at dirt pile and headed back up so we could end at dirt pile),* 7:03, 8:54 (dirt pile avg) stopped at car, (south portion begins)*7:07, *7:09, 8:36.  On our rest miles we kind of jogged in place for a few seconds to catch our breath so this decreased our avg pace for sure.  Kim and I ran all 18 together.  Jane was right there.  Kerri only wanted 16 she ended up with 17 and her avg was a lot better than she thought she could do for a long run.  She has only been running for a few years and she is running so well!!! 

PART TWO:  8 x 1 min on/ 1 min off.  So glad only doing eight would get us to our goal  of 18 miles with  one cool down mile.  Splits: 6:37, 8:36, 6:37, 8:40, 6:39,  8:40, 6:32, 8:31, 6:34, 8:10, 6:28, 8:34, 6:19, 8:11, 6:31 9:06.  SO DONE!!  Cooldown mile: 7:48.  Avg pace with our trotting ends of our 4 x 2 miles = 7:48 avg for all 18.  We were pleased considering only one water stop which I took a sip of water, sip of gatorade and one gu.  Muscles feel worked over.  Achilles burned briefly without ace bandage.  I am starving although I already ate.  The wind chill took most of that run from me as well as that ridiculous grade on our speedplay.  Kim, Jane and Kerri "say" they are glad they ran like that but who knows what they were really thinking : D.

WRRRU (was real recovery run UNTIL).  Well ran to rec center 4 miles at easy pace 9:06. This route has a 1/2 mile 7 percent grade uphill.  I love to wake myself up on it.  Then I couldn't stop there.  I ran a TM hillwork starting on 3 % and increasing by 1/2 % each minute to 7 %  x two minutes then back down to 3 in 1/2 percent decreases then back up in increments to 7 % x 2 minutes and ending back down at  2.5 % times one minute.  Total mileage here 4.1 at 8:49 avg.  Sweating grossly.  Have  capri sweats on and I am dripping.  Ran home at avg pace 8:22.  Third mile home was 7:35 with that hill.  I was trying to go easy down it but like I said it is steep.  Really feel all joints today.  Just the over forty feelin'.  12.1 miles total today.  Really didn't want to run at all so I should be glad I got in 12.  : DDDD   I want to eat a lot.  So I think I will.

The no sleep run.  2 1/2 hours I think of awareness sleep.  Just got out there and trudged along.  Lonely me on the PG/AF/Cedar Hills map.  Off for three nights so sleep will be in overdrive starting tonight.  And  now that the adrenaline zapper--The Olympics-- is over  I should fade quietly into oblivion : D.  Once again my 5 turned into more than five.  I just keep falling for the same old mind games.   8.4 miles at 8:41 avg pace.  

Progressive 14 miler with 1 mile cooldown.  Thought I'd give it try. It seemed doable.  Especially if you start out reeeallll slow (Burt try starting out at 15 minute miles, for sure you could do that!).  Anyway had to slow myself down.  I was worried I would run out of cushion for my last miles.  I didn't want too many fast miles.  It's not speed work day.  I just wanted a MLR workout I would not get bored doing.  It really got me anxious though.  I didn't feel like running fast or slow.  My achilles is starting to burn again.  The shoes are the problem.  I fantasize about pounding the heck out of them and running in comfy shoes again.  At least all the pounding will be over before SGM.  New shoe purchase probably going to happen in April before Ogden if I can hold out that long.   Well here are my splits--oh yah I decided progressive runs are like the "speed of light", the faster you go the less progress you make, meaning the less change you notice like the speed of light when it  (light) comes back to you the world hasn't really changed much (think Back to the Future).  How's that for weird science?  Splits: 9:40, 9:10, 8:58, 8:47, 8:33, 8:25, 8:12, 8:06, 7:50, 7:42 (pushed hard as there was a nice uphill out of lone peak park), 732, 7:25, 7:11,  6:45 and cooldown at 8:01.  Obviously I had some gas in me as I improved my pace by 21 seconds from mile 13 to 14.  Avg pace for 15 miles = 8:09.  Should have gone for that 6:30 last mile that would have brought my avg to 8:03.    Oh well.  It was up hill and through my neighborhood and I love cooldowns.  They work for my body.  I think I like the progressive workout.  I will eventually start out quicker and finish stronger sometime when I am in the mood.  

When can I squeeze in SW with all this running?  I hate hate hate, did  I mention I hate SW, especially on the track.  So I faced my demon by jogging, literally to the AF High School track.  No one on it until an older bigger lady began to walk.  She became my cheerleader on the final one.  Ran there with some warmup laps to equal 3 miles at the turtle speed of 9:28 avg pace.  Yup not at all in the mood.  I have my ankle aced wrapped and still it burns.  Blah, blah.  So I have an achilles heal.  A weak spot.  And I am determined to fight it.  But April you are right I should go sooner than later to get a new pair.  I will.  I will.  Today was 6 by 800 meters.  Basically I set my garmin to 6 intervals at 1/2 mile.  I was not up for ONLY a 1:30 rest so I put  it at 3 minutes recovery running.  I was so lame and didn't want to be near puke zone that I got quite the slow start.  Eventually I neared max VO2 but not to it.  I was holding back.  I did NOT want to enter puke zone.  I wanted the laid back zone and I am happy to report that all of them felt rather NON-pushed.  Ooops.  Well hey my ankle remember?  I was babying it and switching directions every one and running on the outside lanes to avoid too much edging.  Here are my not so wonderful splits for my 1/2 mile repeats:  6:35, 6:17, 6:22, 6:18, 6:17, 6:12.    The last one felt real easy.  See how mental the track is to me?  I knew it was over so I could relax already.  Avg for the last 5 repeats = 6:17.  If first one included avg = 6:20.  I will scratch the first like they do in olympic scoring.  Basically,   I have no race guts except in endurance runs.  I am so wimpy.  Why would anyone want to be in puke zone?  Avg pace for last 7.77 miles = 7:46 (SW plus rest intervals plus cooldown)  

TM miles due to the HEAVY snowfall, like 8 inches or more.  Geez.  Yesterday I was wearing Springtime wear.  Left leg IT/achilles really fired up.  Totally bummed.  I need two right legs.  Will take a rest day tomorrow after working tomorrow.  I also work Saturday night, of course.  Ran 8 miles at 8:10 avg @ .5% incline.  Nothing big.  Wore my heavy clothes on the TM as I orignally planned to tackle the snowfall so I sure was over dressed in a big way-- turtleneck and leggings and extra shirt. 

No good sleep.  Lots of nerve pain (pain score 7 at moments) from my hip to my achilles--IT, piriformis syndrome, sciatica?  Who knows.  All I know is it hurts greatly and unsupportive shoes and more running right now would not help.  Bummer.  Now I guess I will just eat, try to sleep and go back to work tonight. 

Toughed it out at work.  Man was my whole left leg on the left side burning from my left lower back down to my ankle.  Took ibuprofen.  Gradually over the shift around midnight the pain began to let up.  I am glad I didn't run as I would have been worse off.  That last run was not a good idea since it hurt the entire run.   Trip to the running store happening tomorrow. Slept only 3 hours so far today.  Daughter home from church with the dreaded headache sore throat the rest of the family, except me, had last week.  I feel quite good health wise despite the lace of sleep.  Where do  I find another right leg?  I would like to turn in my left, it is my problem leg.  

Fun run turned funnier.  Really I started out in my three pairs ago running shoes.  The only decent ones I could keep for yard work without too much toe missing and heel gone.  So not running in the zeroes.  Since they felt fine when I put them on they were good to go.  Ran my route I take to the Rec center but ran out 5 on Locust just to the Lindon City park where I was approached rather viciously by a medium sized dog.  Just when I was feeling so good at my 7:15 pace and just at the 5 mile turn around.   He was not going to let me get by again without being chased and me yelling didn't seem to back him off too far.  Basically this zapped some of my "stored" adrenaline and getting back to that pace felt more labored.  I still held it though and managed to get 8 miles after two mile warm up at  7:33, 7:15, 7:17, 7:18, 7:10, 7:22, (7:51 breather mile), 7:09.  Then was going to do a one mile cooldown but literally ran in beside my neighbor pushing her double jogger with two kids inside it and decided to run with her.  She was picking up her other daughter  at preschool just past the Mt. Timp temple on 700 north.  I helped her run a 20 miler two years ago about two weeks out from SGM.  She trained for only a month or so and still ran under 4 hours.  So I just jogged leisurely and wonderfully by her.  We walked the major up hill and when her daughter didn't want to ride the scooter at times.  But I got in another 5 miles of running and about a mile or more of walking.  Achilles began to burn on this part of my run.  Acted up a little on the way back at my 10 mile turn around.  I will probably pay a price tonight at work as my muscles had to learn again to run in different shoes.  But that's the price I pay to be prez of the NAIRC.  Smooth and I trade off in this position.  I will be her wing-woman anytime : DDDDD   

OFFICIAL REST THE ACHILLES ETC....day.  Probably not enough to just take one day off, but a runner's gotta do what a runner's gotta do.

I got this crazy notion to glance at my training schedule I sometimes try to follow.  6 x 400 meters with 1:30 rest and repeat.  2:30 rest interval between sets.  Well....I got a crazier notion to go out and run it.  At first I was going to take my long route to the American Fork High School track but began to add even more on passing by the old Albertsons in AF and going up 4th east to 700 north passing the baseball park.  As I passed it I got the notion to run my 400 meters on that straight-away road there.  So I ran into the park about .35 miles and peeled off my water bottle pack and ate a half a gu.  I was going to need it.  The headwind on the bend into the park was atrocious.  That meant however I would get a bit of a tailwind at the start of my first 400.  That was fine with me as I was in no mood to run these.  The rest, with the exception of two repeats (I needed to get back to my water) I ran on the straight-away where there was really not much wind in either direction due to tree cover.  The second one into the wind back to my water I basically gave up and walked the last few feet.  It was ridiculous, Mount Everest-like.  Anyway here I go with my splits: 86, 87, 104 (there's that headwind, do I really need water?), 89, 94 (180 degree turn around), 93, rest for 3 minutes, 91, 90, 110 (should have put my water at the bridge, this headwind was UNbelievable. I just HAD TO walk near the end), 90, 93 (180 degree turn around), 91.  Warmup was 4.63 miles at 8:47 pace.  Cooldown was 4.7 miles at 8:21 pace.  I am about to take a warm shower.  Healthily eat a lot.  Work two nights in a row.  And take another rest day.  The achilles is mad at me again.  

Recovery run.  Running in my old shoes from 1 1/2 years ago had been changing how my muscles in my legs land and is allowing my achilles to heal.  Even after yesterdays run my form in the shoes helped my legs adapt to my old ways and today I am just sore in my quads, a bit in my left hamstring and hip, no achilles pain.  Yay!! This tells me that zeroes are not for me and also ascics are the style of shoe I need since I have had no major injury with them for the past 3 years.  If only I could find this same shoe new again.   I will try to look it up and see if its out there somewhere.  The new years model which I wore for the 850 plus miles the past few months did not fit the same way and caused issues with blistering and awkward fitting so going up a model may not help.  Saucony has too many grids on them and they angle inward, or at least the two I have run in in the past have.  I am thinking I am on the mend.  Just tight now.  Ran 7 miles at 8:20 avg pace.  6 th mile 7:29, got carried away.  The run ended up being a short progressive one.  Start slow 9:09, 8:41, 8:31, 8:27, 7:59, 7:29, 8:09 cooldown.  Wind still intense in places.  Cold unfortunately. Slept only 3 1/2 hours, the usual.  Off to work again in a few hours.  The NICU is so busy they are putting babies in the C-section rooms and the staff lounge.  Crazy.  

Was going to run 3-4 miles after waking but got back from work at 8am, in bed at 830am.  Slept three hours.  Had a case of food poisoning, threw up on my Wednesday night shift after eating some food someone brought in from Costco then this morning had a major case of GI issues, not fun.  No fever or body aches, yay!! The warm day passed me by but for a good reason.  Old friends of mine won four tickets to Disney On Ice at a 4pm show today and they were here without kids from Idaho.  They gave us the tickets and off we went, taking the kids out of school early.  We had a great time until the way home the two youngest fought and  lost privileges.  This made the rest of night miserable for them and us at times.  Choices.  Anyway, still nagging GI issues but don't feel wiped out amazingly considering I have slept 6 hours in the past 72 hours.  Go me : D.  Trying.    

 I wasn't going to write this as a race entry but figured I'd better buck up and face reality.  A reality that I need to work on a few things.  First of all, I don't deserve to start at the front of the pack and this only causes me to have an anxiety attack as I can't possible stay up with them but for a few feet.  I learned this last year at Art City, but they don't have chip times there so it is better to start up front.  But this run was chipped so I should have started in the back and picked off runners instead of taking off at a one time speed of 6:06 that lasted a few feet when I looked at my watch in shock and slowed the heck down.  HELLOOOOO!!! I am not that fast and will die soon.  Well the uphill mile was difficult and was as fast as my 5th mile so that tells me I burned it too much on the first hill.  I am now going to get back out to the hills for some speed there.  Second by the time the downhill came my adrenaline was washed a way that I panicked how I would feel at the flat to uphill ending.  I didn't push it there because I was too scared.  Anxiety building and darn it my quads are aching.  They had been hurting since switching back to my really old shoes.  At least my achilles problem has been fixed and I would take the sore quads over that pain anyday.  Passed some BYU boys and told them "don't worry I am a girl" and "don't worry I am also over forty".  This usually gets the guys moving.  They were a little shocked and by the end I could see even in all the chaos of 5k and 9 k runners the same boy passing me the last .1 miles with a pretty good sprint.  I had nothing left at the end.  The track was filled with slow runners and I was already too disappointed with myself and the course foul-up that I didn't care to sprint much at all.  Hence the poor  .6 mile end pace of 7:01.  Silly me.  I just wanted an avg pace of 6:46 and the stars were not quite aligned for me. Will try harder next time and fuel better and not be sick.  Met some fun people at the race.  Got cold quickly, rain turned to sleet turned to snow.  Spring has yet to Spring.

Splits to follow...So the GI problems got worse and thought I could shake it off by running fast...but my fast wasn't really fast.  I warmed up for 3.2 miles easy then ran a 5.6 mile time trial.  But after the first .2 miles my body felt achy, no adrenaline and basically wiped out.  The 5 of 7 night shift routine isn't helping but at least I am a bit faster than last year on the same schedule.  I was cancelled more last year and this year I haven't been cancelled.  Disney on Ice was fun then we went to the eatery at the Gateway.  Has anyone noticed the PERFUME they inject into air at the outdoor mall there?   I have noticed it each time.  So much for going GREEN at the Gateway.  Such was the start of my time trial.  A lot of guys and gals with perfume.  Mainly the men at the front of the pack and I noticed what house uses what detergent the whole way.  When I lack sleep my extra-sensory perception is even more heightened.  It took my breath away and my heartrate reacted and sped way up and my breathing was way off, never to come back to a groove.  Body felt light but unattached.  Tried to move my arms quickly and they were like marshmallows.  The Riverton 1/2 should be interesting.  I will try for a 7 minute mile pace considering the rolling hills and possible headwinds.  I won't even be sore from this time trial.  I never entered the lactate zone.  Has anyone ever tried to run fast with the stomach flu and major lack of sleep?  It is not easy.  Here are my splits:  7:10(big uphill), 6:49, 6:29 (big downhill), 7:01, 7:09, .6 @ 7:01.  Total mileage 9.  Was going to run a cooldown but it was much colder and I felt very weak, dehydrated.  No gu, one sip of water for the run.  Oatmeal for breakfast.  

10 mile "Recovery Run".  Ran up 1100 north (very steep) to the canal and ran 6.4 on the muddy in some parts trail, did some jumping and weaving but managed pretty well.  This was an out and back run.  I ran to 5 miles on my garmin and turned around just behind and a little west of Deerfield Elementary.  Thought I was going slightly uphill on the way  but when I turned around I realized the uphill was on the way back  (lovely) until the 8.5 mile point where I hit the steep downhill for .6 miles.  That's where I put in a 7:09 mile but no faster as the quads were angry.  Must have been the SW last Wednesday and 9th East at the "Time Trial" Saturday in Provo.  Also I have been only running in my old yet comfy, cushiony shoes since last Monday!!  They have a ton o' miles on them.  Waiting for my new ones to arrive if I can figure out how to order them.  There is a problem with the place I am ordering from and ebay not allowing the third party payer.  Blah....  So glad to be running on the trail again.  Managed a pretty good pace on dirt.  First mile 8:59.  Avg pace= 7:51 for 10 miles.

Ridiculously slept 3 hours from 7am until 10am.  Thought I would sleep longer with daylight savings getting me home at a darker moment but nope.  Frustrating.  So I got up and ate and strolled around and decided to head out for 10 miles.  Wasn't sure where to go but just got out and began to run towards American Fork on 1800 north.  The weather was lovely, Spring in the air and music keeping me alive.  Told myself not to look at my garmin and to actually run a recovery run especially feeling zombie like.  The longer I went the better I began to feel.  At mile 5 I was surprised to see my pace at 8:30.  I thought for sure I was running 10s.  I got the thought to run to Melanie's house in Lehi and surprise her.  I haven't seen her in a while.  So I ran a scenic run there adding on a two mile country run on farm roads.  So nice.  I definitely surprised Melanie and she was so nice to give me powerade and a ride home after we both had her visiting teachers give us this month's lesson.  Nice.  Ran 10 at exactly 8:30 pace.  Now Melanie is super mom.  She is doing all this stuff for her kids for St. Patricks day including rainbow cupcakes with a white cloud (whipped topping) and a gold coin on top, Lucky Charms with green milk in the morning and a "catch the leprachaun" game.  So of course I need to improve in the fun mommy category so I am off to the store while my girls our at dance.  Thanks Melanie for helping me see the light : D.

SW day.  The joy. Ran to the AF track 2.53 miles at way easy pace of 9:07. Oh great, spectators.  There was a frisbee class going on and some non-commited teenagers on the bleachers and a student teacher just standing at the side of the track watching.  I am not good at running fast in front of people.  It reminds me of those dreams you have when you are naked in public.  I feel very exposed.  I get anxiety from it and feel almost suffocated like but of course I try to have confidence in myself.  I am in shape. I am over forty and I am running intervals on the track none of the spectators  over half my age can run.  They look unfit most likely from too much texting and too many twinkies from the vending machine.  They weren't fat, just their skin and muscles looked hungry for real energy.  Anyway... I am soooo judgmental.  I really wanted to call out to them to come join me but they seemed surprised to see a person work out.  I mean to the general high schooler, what is working out?  Here I go again.  Okay here is my work out.  I shot for below my goal after the first lap.  I was grossed out with a "no way do I want to hit puke zone feeling" that I made an improvised goal I could handle mentally with the public viewing and my lack of motivation for track work.  Ran 1 mile @ 6:25 (5:36 max speed ), 400 meter RI,         2 miles @ 6:42 avg pace(5:31 max speed), 800 meter RI,   1/2 mile @ 6:06 avg pace (5:23 max), 400 meter RI, 1/2 mile @ 6:08 avg pace (5:23 max).   Cooldown miles home 3.25 @ 8:38 avg.   Total mileage 10.35.  Not including some walking I did for the RI.  I am an old lady.  Need my walks sometimes : D.     My goal for the mile was 6:20.  Two miler 6:40.  1/2 miles 6:10.  Odd that I got closer to my goal with each interval.  It takes a bit for my body to "wake up" to the work involved.  

6.5 hours of skiing in place of running....so nice up there in the pines.  The weather was very nice, not too warm but not  ever cold either.  Occasional sun with nice clouds rolling by...WHAT A VIEW!!  We went to Brighton.  We took the kids out of school.  With my schedule this was the best thing to do.  More time to be with the kids was needed.  Was going to run at 6am for an hour and was up then but said "what for?".  Really just lied in bed in a state of non-involvement.  OF course there is always tomorrow.....   :  DDDDD

Fell asleep at 930 pm after a fun-filled day of skiing yesterday and woke at 3 am in the mood to run.  Like really?  You've got to be kidding?  I tried to fall back to sleep, to no avail.  Kim, Jane and Kerri were running 15 miles at 5am so I thought maybe I could hold out til then.  Sometimes my initial feelings for running are crushed with a zap of tiredness.  But I was still wide awake an hour later.  I figured I might as well get up and go for 20 miles today.  I ran over to Kim's the long route starting at 443am for 2.2 miles and met up with Kim and the others.  We ran a route Kerri had mapped out for us with varying terrain from PG, AF, Highland, and Cedar Hills.  At first the sky was crystal clear with the stars shining and then the storm rolled throughout the run as the winds picked up and the snow began to flurry.  Seriously?  First day of Spring tomorrow and this is what we get today?  It seemed the storm cloud followed us on our route.  Ran their 15 mile loop and took off at the end for another 2.8 miles to get 20.  Avg pace 8:08 for the 20 miles.  The splits:  8:38, 8:23,   group start 8:29, 8:34 (uphill), 8:25, 8:01, 8:17, 8:33 (uphill), 8:23, 8:03, 8:10,  8:11, 8:20,  8:15,  8:02,  7:45 ( sl. downhill), 7:34 (downhill), 8:08,  7:28,  7:19 (uphill finish : ()  )    Ate two gus.  Needed them.  Nerve pain in thighs came on around 13 miles.  C'est la vie.  

This whole daylight savings has played a ton with my internal clock that was already messed up .  Stayed up at work totally well until 520 am when I got a bit tired.  Got home at 645am and got in bed at 7am.  Put on a sleeping mask and ear plugs and yet as I awoke I looked at the sides of my curtain to see the brightness of the sun.  Yay, did I sleep until 11am?  4 hours?  Oh no, it was ONLY 940am!!  HELLOOOOOOOOO!!!!!  Are you kidding me?  just over 2.5 hours of sleep?  Have I truly turned vampire-like?  Got up cause I had to pee badly and I felt hungry.  Well, all of a sudden "something" pops up out of my bed.  My husband was still asleep!!  Sleeping away while I couldn't.  errrrrr!!!!  Ate a little organic pop tart, if there is such a thing, sweet : D.  I love costco.  They make anything "organic".  I was feeling pretty awake but I made the mistake of logging on to the computer to check the Spectrum status (no results then) but I stayed on longer and became tired again.  This was only 15 minutes but it was zipping my zap.  But my tired wasn't enough to lull me to sleep so I felt the air outside and the "warm" sunshine with a breeze and decided to get my short run in, determined to go progressive and get under 8 pace.  It was hard at first as my muscles were fast asleep and the garmin took over .4 miles to register the ummph I was putting into my run.  I mean seriously I did not start out at a 11 pace.  Why does my garmin at times take so long to register?    Oh well, at least it went according to plan.  Splits:  8:20, 8:17 (gradual long uphill), 7:59, 7:37, 6:57.    One mile cooldown in 8:17.  Avg pace 7:50.    New maximum pace met of 5:20!!!!  Wow, that's high school days 800 repeat pace!!  I wasn't very good at track so I guess that's not saying too much except that I am much older.  I  am pretty happy with this run considering it was sleep deprivation mode.  OFF to shower, eat and hopefully sleep.  Work again tonight.

Speedwork day.  Yesterday after work I slept only three hours again.  I even made to church for all the meetings at 1pm yesterday.  No headache.  Didn't fall alseep until midnight.  Ridiculous.  Plan today run 3 x (2 x 0.75 mile, RI 2 minutes) repeats, 4 minute RI between sets.  I ran three miles to the PG rec center (8:40 avg pace).  I was going to run on their track outdoors but it still is too strong for me ( the new rubber track, gross).  So I ran the TM.  Should have gone to the AF track, so much nicer!!  The TM shook like mad but got it done.   Goal was 6:15 pace.  Here is how it went after a 1 mile warmup on the mill:  6:18, 6:18, 6:15, 6:15, 6:18, 6:13.  Not quite to my goal but this workout was hard for me with the mill shaking and the perfumed air.  Not too mention being out of shape for this pace, obviously hitting max VO2, not sure how to tell but I felt almost nauseated.  Form pathetic the last few as my shoes were way loose and my feet were moving all around in them.  They are still my 3 year old shoes.  You would laugh if you saw pictures of them.  But hey, no injuries : D.    4 mile cooldown to my house @ 8:38 avg pace.

Since my 445 am  20 mile run Friday morning I have slept only 16 hours (avg 4 hours a day, during the day, mainly) including todays three hours.  I knew I should just kick back and rest because somehow someway I am going to get that sleepin' feeling.  You see I haven't been tired, more hyper.  Almost ADHD.  That's why some ADHD people improve when they get on a schedule with good sleeping.  I am not ADHD just sleep deprived.  But I am functioning better than I ever had with little sleep unless I have an impending 1/2 marathon to "conquer".  So.... I broke down and took a higher dose of a antianxiety pill I rarely take and "voila" I slept another 3 1/2 hours this afternoon.  Alleluyah!!  Skipped on running.  Did the mommy carpool kids to dance thing and make dinner.  Not sure of my plan Saturday other than start out easy as to not "zap" my adrenaline and gain on myself over the course.  Kinda wish I was running Antelope instead, an endurance run works better for me.  But I need to help my speed for Ogden.  Goal there is probably 3:15.  Plan to run a brief tempo with total miles at 10 tomorrow.  Busy day with Visiting Teaching, Orthodontist, and work again for two in a row.  Miles this week will dwindle as I better conserve or be roadkill at the race.  ALSO forgot to mention that I started doing upper body work (its been over 8 years) Saturday night at work.  I brought 3 pound weights there and took 15 minutes to work the arms.  I knew I had to start with the arms as after I ran the other day I was doing "air lift" weights with my arms (no weight except body) and my muscles were burning.  I talked to Kim and she told me to do some guy pushups.  She could only do 10 at first and now can do over 30.  I took the guy pushup test and sadly could ONLY DO 2,  that's right 2, very wimpy!!  I then did 10 girl ones.  Since Saturday, and especially at Monday's SW on the Mill my arms were  sooooo sore.  Pretty funny and pathetic considering they were ONLY 3 pound weights.  So, I am going to get serious now and work on my upper body and core.  Perhaps this will help my form and improve my speed?  Time will tell.  Did a brief arm work out last night at work, same weights and could do 3 boy pushups before bed this morning followed by 10 girls and then 3 boy then 10 girls.  Maybe it has to do with sleep deprivation and muscle power.  This post is getting too long.  END.

I tried to surprise the women again that were leaving at 5 am as I couldn't sleep past 4am.  However this time I was wasted as I left the door.  "Hang over" from the medication yesterday.  Basically I must have missed them as I got there at 5:06 per garmin and no one was around.  I kept on running not waiting around as I saw Jane's truck and they always stay outside.  I thought maybe I would find them and I was a little leary of running in the lonely scary darkness alone.  I kept coming up with runaway plans if I was approached.  Not a fun way to run.  Woke up around mile 3 but still not feelin' it for MP.  The darkness played with my eyes and footing so my pace felt harder than usual.  Most like due to dark, cold, lack of sleep, loneliness and fatigue....but even though I told myself to quit I ran the three MP miles--7:12, 7:15, 7:12.    This pace felt so easy about a week and 1/2 ago when I slept a good 10 hours before.  Here's hoping for some good Zzzzzsss but if not I plan to take my 1/2 marathon pace down to about a 7:30.   Work tonight for two in a row.   No more upper body until after the race.  Busy day.  Soccer practice starts today just after piano, and my littlest has dance, soccer tomorrow.  All splits: 9:14, 8:43,  8:31,  8:07, 7:12,  7:15, 7:12, 8:12, 8:02, 7:39. AP 8:01 for 10 miles.

415pm windy run here and there and everywhere.  Took the farm road up to Cedar Hills after varying loops in PG.  Garmin died the first .22 miles.  I had just charged it but I must have left it on the whole time.  Don't they shut off automatically if you don't press "start"?  Well that left me to my own judgement for 5.5 miles to make 30 even so far this week.  I felt like I was trotting literally.  I was soooooooo nauseated from lack of sleep and varying eating times that I just wanted to make this as easy as possible so "trotted".  The last mile I must have picked it up quite a bit because I gained on my neighbors over 1/4 mile away quite quickly.  Pace is off starting garmin time and ending verizon wireless time.  I am assuming they are using the same satellites for time.  As for distance it was back to course tooling, my old friend :D.  Avg pace 8:45.  So nice, so relaxing.  I went over so that's a bonus, to 6.75 miles.

Got off work at 630am and walked to my car.....De ja Vu...high winds and a bit of snow, for real?  If it is like this for tomorrow's race I draw the line.  I will just drive up and get my shirt and turn around to my house.  NO WAY am I racing in pelting snow.  I don't have it in me.  I am sooooo wimpy right now, my fight is stagnant.  You see after all these nights in a row the exponential affect gives me a serious confidence wipe out.  BUT NO WORRIES I AM sure the REAL JULIE will step forward come 6am tomorrow and prove to herself she is NOT a quitter and somehow plant her feet at that starting line, come HAIL or TORNADO.    JULIE #2 , the imposter, forgot one thing,  JULIE #1 knows where she (doesn't) sleeps!!   Obviously no workout today, all energy consumed in a ball, hopefully rolling into a larger and larger one as I count the hours down to the moment of truth, true story : D.  I am not even sure any of this made sense.  Oh well.

I DID IT AND I TOOK IT EASY,  at a controlled pace.  I call this 1/2 marathon my sleep deprivation pace run.  I had a plan that I mostly followed.  I was going to make it a progressive run and vary it with the all the hills I would encounter (4 good ones, apparently).  But  instead I kept it even for most of the run not pushing it.  I did have to slow myself down at the beginning when I saw my garmin read 6:59.  So I did.  I ran a smart race for me considering my sleep deprivation.  It was important to not go out fast and burn the minimal adrenaline I had.  Check, check.  Second, I just didn't want to make it hurt.  I didn't want to feel winded.  I wanted to be in control.  Check, check.  Third, I wanted to be first master.  Check, check.  Forth, I wanted to sprint to the finish line the last  .1 miles even if my limbs felt like they would fall off.    Check, check.  So here are my splits.  Looking at them I was pretty happy.  They were pretty much even except at the four hills.  I gave myself allowance for these.  I didn't want to get my heartrate too up there and have a race "panic attack".  I was on no reserve and mentally couldn't do that to myself.  The play by play:

Warmup for 3.5 miles very easy pace.  (8:58)

1-  7:24  Not sure how many women in front.  Probably a handful.   I was going to take it easy.  It felt really nice.

2- 7:25  Still so nice.  I asked some spectators how many women were in front.  Someone said five or six.  Okay then.

3- 7:05  Ahead of where I wanted to be but it felt okay and the hill was coming up so I better store up some seconds.

4-  7:37  The hill.  I was trotting up it.  No need to waste energy, although I did talk to a guy I passed on the way up.  Actually  I passed several guys the past few miles.  I never got passed the whole race.  That was nice.

5-  7:19  Going by the starting line.   I threw my headband to a spectator that answered my question if anyone could take it to the finish line.  Thanks : D.   I took my gloves off at mile three and put them in my tights around my waist.

6-  7:17  Nice downhill then 1/2 mile on dirt.  Some tire treading to avoid but totally not a problem.

7-  7:20

8-7:20  Another hill.  Crept up it.  Moved legs in short strides. Passed two girls just after this.  Was worried it may have been too soon but they looked beat.

9-7:22  There's that marathon pace again.  It sounds strange that my half marathon pace is my marathon pace but by Ogden I will have had three nights off to sleep and 7 more weeks of training.  So I definitely think it is doable.  This pace felt nice and the course is not an easy one.

10-  7:24  Big  uphill  portion here and I had just passed who I thought was women number three based off spectators and two guys who also confirmed this. 

11- 7:42  An unexpected hill. This was a slight mental block for me.  I looked ahead and saw it and was hoping the guy climbing it ahead of me was deleriously running off the course.  To no avail.  I had to run up it.  Dang. 

12-  7:32  Recovery mile and it is a steady up hill.  Not big but just consistently inclining over the entire mile.  So close to the finish I could taste it.  Time to get it in gear already, Julie, this is a race.  I blasted my tunes in my ear loud enough to wake myself out of my dream pace to finish a bit stronger.

13-   7:03. 

.1-  6:10 pace  (max hit 5:36 at this portion).  This is what I envisioned or rather said to myself  as I thought of actually sprinting to the finish line.  It is a line from the movie New Moon.  Jane says to Bella just before she is about to try to "hurt" her with her mind:  "This might hurt a bit" as she makes an evil smile.  Yup that's what I said and that's exactly what it felt like, but only for a bit : DDDD.    I bore down with all my strength and tucked my arms close to my sides and booked them forward and back passing one guy along the way and almost getting to pass a second one.  It felt great to finish strong.  It felt great to be done. 

2.5 mile cooldown at a very easy pace talking on my cell phone to Melanie (9:12) going backward on the course, coming back to the finish line in a square. Total miles 19.1 @ 7:54 pace.  Those six other miles were real easy, so average pace nothing to speak of.  Worth the relaxing miles though.  It made the pace run that more enjoyable.  The rest of my day consisted of watching three soccer games and trying to get in some nutritious food.  Sleeping tonight will be a welcome treat.  Alleluyah!!!  PS I was really forth overall.  Someone counted wrong.  Had I known I may have tried to catch the girl I got a glimse of in front of me, but probably not.  I didn't want to hurt and only the last .1 miles hurt.  YAY!!

Should have been smarter.  But I only have so many days in a week when I don't work the night before.  But man oh man when I started on this run I wanted to run back into my bed.  Slept 10 hours Saturday night.  Broken sleep last night, but total 8 hours.  Night sweats since Friday night.  Estrogen depletion.  An age thing.  But it sure zaps me of my strength.  My estrogen level is menopausal, but medications make things worse so I try diet and exercise.  So probably doing my scheduled SW today was not the thing to do.  But I did do it.  Let me inform you of how uncomfortable that was.  The schedule was  .63 miles, 1.25 miles, .63 miles, .63 miles.  (basically  1k, 2k, 1k, 1k, 400 meter recovery).  I set my garmin up and away I went after a 3.5 mile "warm up".  The whole time thinking of turning around and heading for home--running a 4 mile easy run and be done already.  Do I have to be that difficult?  Yes.  The first three I was okay with but then gonezo with the adrenaline when I saw the time for my last one I stopped part way thru and walked.  Dang.  I am zapped.  Called it a day but wait maybe I could just do it on my way home on the scenic by way.  Well I did but still goal was way off.  It was hilly and I was spent on hills Saturday.  Here are my dreadfully wiped out self splits:  .63 miles @  6:12 pace, 1.25 miles @ 6:29 pace,  .63 miles at 6:25 (losing ground now),  .16 (6:44, I was giving up, why am I doing this?),  jogged around the track started home,  .63 miles at 6:40 (a little improvement so done), ran home.  Avg pace for 10 miles = 8:03

Got up after four hours sleep.  Knew the wind was fierce as I left work this morning.  Was told it would get more so.  The wind was a warm one though as I stepped out on my deck.  Decided to go out in it.  Have fun with it by trotting a long.  I decided to go up to the canal via 2600 North PG.  Got on and decided to go UP to the Bonneville Shoreline instead.  EXTREMELY steep incline to get there but so worth it.  Scenic trail overlooking the valley.  High winds but thankfully not bone chilling high winds.  I was envisioning my possible 50 miler coming up.  No word yet if I am in or not.  No one is off the wait list yet.  I'd better get doing tons of trail runs.  And they are calling my name so I am headed that direction.  It felt so nice on dirt even with the wind.  As I finished I looked back up there and now it is a dirt haze from all the wind.  Was  I running in that?  I think I beat that.  I had good visibility.  Pace so nice so very needed.  One part of a mile I walked as the incline was intense and this was an easy run.  So avg pace a wonderful 9:48 for 7.2.    Came home, showered, made a delicious healthy treat---a smoothie with ice cubes, orange juice, milk, marionberries (blackberries), blueberries, raspberries, banana, oatmeal and flax seed.  So delicious.  I am going back for more.  I made a lot.  My kids love my smoothies.  They don't even notice the flax and oatmeal.  

Soooooo.... I  got the kids off to school and into my running clothes thinking should I go to the gym?  should I TM it?  Should I stationary bike?  ARGHHHH!!  I dislike this weather.  It is playing with my mood.  I felt depressed looking out the window again to winds and blowing snow.  Geez....will this ever end?    I then quickly changed my thinking..."that's it I am going to the JRP (Jordan River Parkway) and running up to the end and back where we started our 18 miler a month ago". The weather wasn't going to stop me.  Nor the route with the two miles of awesome incline.  Well, I did just that.  Starting out in to a great headwind.  I was thinking well that's fine I will get a tail one on the way back (the wind died down a lot on the way back, so no tailwind at all).   Started out easy and then gradually my pace was pretty good for winds, snow and rolling hills.  I was like "for real?".  The hills actually felt very easy to me, not like I remembered them.  Basically that is because the race last week prepared me for many a hill.  Bring them on now.  Can't wait to run Suncrest.  When there is a view I will get up there.  Today visibility was low.  I could just barely see the freeway in the distance at the point of the mount.  It was surreal and so peaceful on my own on JRP.  The only nut out there (until I came upon a guy strolling on the JRP, he looked normal, pheww!!, I said hi and told him I was glad I wasn't the only nut, we passed again when I turned around).  There was still that dirt to go over but it was flattened.  However because of the wet snow the dirt was all mud.  I had about 3 inches of mud  on my sneakers after running through both times.  It was at miles 0.5 and 9.5.  My shoes are currently drying out.  I will slam them together tomorrow to get the caked on mud off.  Splits:  9:12 (mud hoofing and stomping easy mile), 8:22, 8:03, 8:29 (big uphill section, but brief, keeping it real),  8:11 (good ascent felt very easy, I thought my garmin was lying), 7:21 (kept the breaks on, doing speed with Kim tomorrow),  7:31, 7:30, 7:24, 7:39 (muddy adventure again, slowed me).  This run was exhilarating.  Very easy.  Must have been my recovery run yesterday that made this possible.  No longer depressed.  Love that it stopped snowing when I got back home.  Avg pace for 10 = 7:58.

Why is it when you get an idea in your head for a great run that when it comes time to run torrential winds and pelting snow begins to fall just as you take your first few steps? Yup just another NAIRC thing to do.  And I dragged Kim along with me.   Actually she dragged me along in the run.  She felt great.  My upper body was spent.  I have been working it out the last week and a half.  And yesterday was upper body day.  I am following that 100 push ups .com program Smooth showed  me plus lifting weights.   Just walking around this morning I didn't feel sore but when I got on my run and asked them to workout they were screaming.  It didn't help that there were over 20 mph winds in our face and we only got one BRIEF tailwind on our run and a total of a mile with lesser wind.  The rest was fierce head and side wind from the Northwest.  You'd think when we headed south things would change but the sidewind was just as bad with the pelting snow.  I am sure I noticed it more too with my sore upper body trying to fight it.  I stayed from 4 to 10 seconds per mile behind Kim after the first two miles.  Here is what we did:  I picked her up at 5:30am and we drove to AF Canyon entrance booth and parked.  Ran two warmup miles up and turned around and ran straight out of the canyon in to the incoming snowstorm.  4 am no wind, no snow.  Of course.  Even 525am when I left my house.  Blah.  We ran to the light and turned left on to Lone Peak HS road and turned left at Walmart and right at the turnabout and left by Lincoln Academy and right towards 2600 North PG and over to 1300 west to Kim's house after a brief lower loop.  Ummmm...as we turned west again the wind was even stronger for our last mile.  The first part downhill and the second part like a stand still into the wind.  It was kind of hilarious.  My arms were of no use and then we ended up hill.  Wowsers!!  Kim said she felt great.  My heart was okay, my legs actually felt like they barely worked.  But these arms/shoulders are just a shaking and can barely type. I am such a wimp.  But I WILL get stronger from this.  I know it takes time.  I have got to start somewhere.  Splits: 9:17, 9:22, 6:42, 6:54 (see how the wind slowed us as we neared its mouth?), 6:43,  6:57, 6:54,  6:53, 7:01,  7:00.  Total avg pace = 7:22 .  Geez I didn't even beat my half pace last Saturday.  That's weird.  Oh yah, 1.2 mile cooldown to my house from Kims at 8:27.  BRrrrrr.  I let my sweat cool off too much. 

16 wonderful miles with Smooth on the JRP an out and back loop of 8 miles run twice.  Lovely sun, some breezy moments and coolness but NOTHING  compared to Mother Nature yesterday.  So glad to have a willing partner to run with.  Thanks Smooth!  Avg pace for 16 miles= 8:38.    We were starving at the end.  Skipped on fuel except some water/powerade at halfway point.  Ooops.  Cafe Rio made up for that. I chowed down an entire pork burrito in less than 10 minutes after Easter shopping for the Kids.  My husband was trying to keep up on the eating pace.  Now I am stuffed and due for a long nap.  But the kids will be home in 30 minutes and I work tonight.  No nap for me for a while.  For Smooth's benefit on the splits here they are (her garmin went whacko):  8:52,  8:47,  8:32,  8:42,  8:36,  8:35,  8:41,  8:32,  8:42,  8:36,  8:43,  8:38,  8:34, 8:34,  8:46,  8:13.  Smooth ran so well.  She doubts her abilities too much.  She can TOTALLY run SUB FOUR at Boston.  Even 3:50 to 3:55!!!  She cruised along, I had to slow her down at the beginning : D.  YOU CAN DO IT SMOOTH!!!!

7.25 moody miles.  The cold wind and lack of sleep could not flee my mind easily.  However managed to get each of my daughters to ride on their bikes for at 2.1 mile loop.  First my 11 year old, then my 7 year old and then my 9 year old.  Each ride in their on style.  Brooke got the benefit of learning from the others that she should wear a hat (Courtney) and gloves (Amber).  Our dog even joined in for the last loop.  He was running as fast as his little four legs could carry him.  He is a little dog about 10 pounds.  A mutt.  He got quite the work out.  Myself on the other hand slept 2 hrs 45 minutes in awareness sleep after getting back from a very stressful ending to a shift.  Clocked out at 7:15am!!    So I am kind of moody.  And yay I get to go back early tonight for a co-worker at 445pm and work all night again.  I think I might see if I could be the one to go home early.  Hope I am that lucky.  Avg pace 8:37.  Felt much harder than yesterday mentally.    Off to nap again.  

Okay, so today called for SW 3 x 1600.  I awoke after the usual make up sleep night feeling still wiped out.  But dragged my tushy to my closet and got dressed to run indoors on the TM.   Looking outside there was NO WAY I could face the wind and overcast again.   JUST NO WAY!!  I thought I will just get it over as quick as possible on the TM, maybe get in 10 miles.  As I was about to reconsider where I ran (PG rec or maybe Kim would let me run at her house) I reached for the phone to call Kim and low and behold the phone began to ring.  8:08 am on Spring Break.  Who would be calling?  I saw who it was and immediately picked it up.  It was Melanie.  She immediately announced that she just ran 20 miles on the TM.  20 miles!!! We had just talked last night on the phone how we both needed to run 20 today to detoxify all the junk we put in our bodies over Easter weekend.  (I had 3 cupcakes with an inch of yellow frosting on them at work Saturday night.  They had bunny rings on them so I told myself it was for a good cause, my three daughters for their baskets.)  This wasn't good, that Melanie announced this.  I certainly was going for the 10 miler with a little SW.  I was dragging as it was and really didn't even think three miles at 6:20 was even possible at all.  Soooooooo...I got in my car not knowing what to think of Melanie's call.  It got me thinking....maybe if I start out real easy I could convince my body to wake up and do a 20 on the TM.  Basically that is what I did.  Progressive run to a 7:30 pace finishing up at a quicker pace, forcefully.  The first 10 miles were at 2 % incline and they went like this:  8:57, 8:41, 8:27- 8:34 (avg 8:30), 8:13- 8:20 (avg 8:16), 8:00, 7:47, 7:41, 7:35, 7:30, 7:30.  Can I let go of this incline already?  I told myself to just make it to 10 miles and then I could take it down to 1/2 percent.  So I did just that.  It took a 1/2 mile for my heartrate to adjust and be glad.  7:30 was now feeling doable.  Here are my last splits, I ran the last 4 miles at 0 % in order to finish strong and get over the boredom already:  7:30, 7:30, 7:30, 7:30, 7:08- 7:24 (avg 7:16), 7:47 (needed to take a breather here, TM running is quite monotonous), 7:41, 7:35, 7:24-7:30, 6:40-7:24 (avg 7:08) = DONE!!!!!  AVG PACE for 20 miles =  7:45.  Total time 2 hours 35 minutes.  Got off TM and ran to fill up water bottle at 5, 10, 15 mile markers.  Really gave that TM a needed workout.   Wowsers.  Of course I had my cell phone on the TM so as to call Melanie immediately of my accomplishment.  We rejoiced together!!!  We are both done with our detox!!  : DDDDD

Addendum at bottom.  So far nothing.....I just awakened an hour ago.  Felt like a smoothie,,, the close as I get to cryotherapy in the winter....I mean really is it winter in April again?  Snow!!!!!  Wind!!!   Cold!!!  Not in the mood to get out there but might now that my body temp is lowering with my smoothie.  But here is some SCARY I'D BETTER GET MY ACT TOGETHER NEWS...THE MAIN DIRECTOR OF SQUAW PEAK WROTE ME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT I COULD COUNT ON BEING LET INTO THE RACE-- HE ALREADY CASHED MY ENTRY SO I GUESS I SHOULD THINK IT TRULY IS HAPPENING.  I AM GOING TO RUN THE 50 MILER ON JUNE 5TH!!!!!    I PLAN TO JUST TAKE OFF TWO SATURDAYS AND RUN AND RUN AND RUN ON THE TRAILS OF THE SHORELINE UNTIL MY GARMIN READS 32 MILES.  I ALSO PLAN ON RUNNING UP SUNCREST SEVERAL TIMES AND SPEEDING DOWN.  AND RUN A COUPLE OF BACK TO BACK 20 MILERS TO SHOCK THE OLD BODY.    My goal is to get in under 10 hours 26 minutes.  That is the top master course PR.  Time will tell.  Currently I work 5 of 7 nights before that big day.  I am going to get the Thursday night off for sure!!  I think one night of sleep is necessary before I conquer 50 miles of steep terrain.  I am both excited and terrified.  I wonder what my body will say after 32 miles.  Antelope island was quite the feat and I am more trained to take on this distance with my mind.  The 20 miler on the TM with only music and random TV shows without sound or words keeps me thinking I can endure this well.  I look forward to the descent at mile 40 and trying to "fly" down the steep terrain to the finish line.  It may not be pretty.  Should be very fascinating.  I look forward to eating and eating while running and new socks at each aid station if necessary.  I just hope I don't get lost and add on more miles.  Those are my thoughts at the moment.  PS This race is three weeks post Ogden so this will be VERY fascinating in deed.  A fast marathon followed by miles and miles of treachery?  Eeeks.  Maybe I'd better slow it down at Ogden....nope not goin' to do that!!

 Ran OUTSIDE in the frigid windy (18 mph per weather report for Pleasant Grove, I just checked) but I didn't care.  I dressed prepared today.  I wore a turtleneck, sweatshirt and long sleeved nylon shirt with my tights, headband, gloves AND GOGGLES. Yup that's right GOGGLES for skiing.  They really are more like sunglasses with foam edging and a strap for holding in place.  Problem is they fog up easily so I easily went from quiet alert state to non-rem sleep and sometimes REM sleep but noone noticed because I was the only NUT out there in the snow to hailstorms that were comin' and going like a bad memory.  Anyway did NOT look at my garmin once.  I wanted a recovery run from yesterday and the wind was going to be my friend.  I was going to run with it, against it with a smile and which ever way I could with it, but certainly not try to run fast in it.  It turned out I ran quite the progressive run.  Was only going to do 5 or 6 but of course just had to add on when the moment was on.  First mile 9:43, fastest mile (2 of them) 8:15.  Avg pace for 8.1 miles = 8:50.  I guessed 9:20 avg so I guess that's good enough for me.  After my run I laid on the grass and meditated then did my pushups from the 100pushups.com program. Hadn't done them since last Wednesday.   They went really well, felt really easy.  Total 23 pushups the hard way.  Then I worked my arms with the three pound weights.  Time to move up to five pounds.  But I will probably wait until next week. 

To the Lehi Rec Center (had a 1/2 off coupon), boy is it CrOwDeD in there!!  And STILL hot!!  Plan to run 3 x 1600 at 6:20 pace with 400 meter recovery.  So I start my warmup and another exerciser approaches me to ask if she could put her "treadmill class" pass on my TM to reserve it for the class that was starting in 15 minutes.  What?  Oh no.  There's a class?  Yikes.  I called Melanie the pro on this rec center and she told me to go and get one of those passes so I could keep running.  The other woman also told me I could do this if I wanted to do the class.  So I quickly ran down and got one of the last passes and placed it on my TM and continued my warmup.  I was a little stressed now that a class was going to start and I would look silly doing my own thing but I did it.  I took off my iPod and listened to the instructor's music and ignored her directions.  Although I do feel that class would be quite effective.  Anyway it was very hard to continue sprinting while the other TMers were taking breaks on the edges of their mills.  I sooooo wanted to stop too.  When they started running again it was easier to focus.  I seriously have ADHD/anxiety on a TM doing SW.  My form falls apart and  I can't focus very well as there are sooo many distractions, TVs all on different channels, runners goin' by on the track, instructor yelling out instructions....etc... But all in all I achieved pretty close to my goal.  After my 3 mile warm up ran a 6:18 mile, a 6:20 mile (2 laps at 6:18, 2 at 6:22, starting to struggle with focus), and last mile 6:25-  first lap 6:31, 2nd lap 6:31, third lap 6:27, 4th lap ending at a 6:00 pace so average = 6:25 for the last mile.  I was too anxious, self concious, thirsty and hungry.  I ate the gu too late, after the second repeat.  Rested for only the 400 meters, HR not fully recovered with that.  I am not sure I can get any faster.  I am more for the endurance mode.  Ran 2 mile cooldown.  Total mile 8.5.  Seemed so short but pressed for time.  Went home picked up my girls and brought them back for a swim at the rec center with Melanie's kids.  They are all currently playing at my house, three of her girls with the three of mine.  She took her baby and son home, to hopefully eat and sleep.  She gets the big standing ovation for her performance today.  YOWSERS!! 

Slept 4.5 hours!!  Woke at noon.  COULD NOT possibly pass up the opportunity to run in sunshine, and a nice breeze.   Ahhh  the smells of nature!!  So rejuvenating!!  Just took off and ran up to the canal and on to the Cedar Hills trail and up by their golf course and around down by the Lone Peak park and over to AF high school.  I felt like I could have run and run.  Ended up running 11 even.  Not on purpose I was just goin' and goin' and it played out that way.  Loved the adventure of the varied terrain, dirt trail and road and awesome views.  Avg pace= 8:33 for 11 miles in the hills.  Work tonight.  MAY pass on running tomorrow.  With everyone running their marathons I am lonely on the mileage board : D  , hey wait Allie's with me!!!

Should not have given in to the french fry craving AND a grilled chicken and avocado sandwich from JCWs.  I felt sluggish on my run.  It was a recovery/easy day and felt that way but really was hoping somehow easier was getting faster but I guess not in a semi-coma state will that happen.  Slept 4.5 hours again when I got home at 6:45am.  So when I got on my shorts and headed outside I thought yippee its spring still, but I felt a cold breeze, more so than yesterday that I grabbed my sweatshirt.  I definitely was more sleepy on today's run as it took me 5 miles before I felt warm enough to remove my sweatshirt.  Ran 7.5 miles @ 8:57 pace-- 2.7 miles of which were on a gravel path that goes around the stake center by discovery park, almost a 1/2 mile loop.  I was wanting less pounding.  Notice my right  (last time it was my left and much worse) achilles acting up, but not due to shoes but doing "guy" push ups.  My ankles are skinny and the stress of my body weight on them during push ups is stretching that area pretty good.  Hope I can just get em' strengthened by doing this gradual push up program.  Or I might have to take longer breaks in between and watch my form more closely.  Goal possibly 70 miles this week if I can get in 15 tomorrow am   : D.

Ran to Kim's at 525 am to meet Kim and Melanie for a 10 mile run (ended up 11.3) with Kim for her taper before Boston and added on with Melanie for her to get 15 and I would run home to put me at 15.5.  A  funny thing happened to me on my way to Kim's.   It tells you how sleep deprived I am,. I ran right into a pile of dirt in the road.  Someone had it there for their  yard.  I was like running a few steps up into it before noticing the soft gushy feel of it getting into my sneakers and quickly turning and sliding off it getting more dirt into my shoes.  What the heck?  Whatever.  More dirt to follow on my 50 miler so I better get used to it. We ran uphill for three miles to the canal by Lone Peak and headed south on it to 1100 north where we turned down for a couple of MP miles.  The canal we were limited on speed as neither of us had on a headlamp and we couldn't see pot holes and we can't afford a twitsted ankle.  As we neared 1100 north daylight was upon us.  We were trying to run JUST MP not faster so I cautioned my speedy friends to tone it down and let it feel easy.  Kim and I chatted away which is probably why those splits were about 7- 710.  Mel was a few paces ahead.  The last 1/4  or mile after we got up to Melanie., Melanie told us to push hard to our finish line which we put as the new traffic lights placed just passed AF hospital road on 1100 north.  I am thinking my garmin is on one because it says my maximum pace hit today was 4:18 mile!!!!!!!??????  How long must a person be at a pace when the garmin makes this calculation?  I was pushing hard to follow Kim and stay up with her so MAYBE I was there for a split second : }    Anyway we took it down a notch after those three miles and got to Kim's  house making it  12.4 miles for me then  Melanie did an easy two mile loop at mid 8s going back to Kim's ( she lives on a hill BTW so I was getting some good hillwork here).  I  then ran home and ended with a quick pace, last 1/2 mile at 6:56.  I felt better here than I did going down 1100 north.  Total mile 15.5 at 8:06 avg. Ummmm hit OVER 70 miles this week and this is my awful work week working those 5 night shifts in 7 nights.  I feel so good. 70 is my magic number.  I think I will try for this every three weeks or so.  I haven't run over 70 since late November/early December. 

AVG pace 7:54 for 15.1 miles.  Ran 4.8 mile warmup to the AF high school track at 8:08 pace then ran my scheduled gruesome 10 by 400 meters.  I am just not a track star in any way shape or form.  Wayyyyyy bad memories of my struggling teenage years.  No joke.  Anyway ran the first 5 clockwise and the last 5 counter clockwise.  Problem with a north/south outdoor track is headwind  (17 mph) is your friend either way but somehow it seemed more pronounced clockwise.  After the third one into the wind I was about to give up but decided to take my gu and some water and see if that helped.  I hadn't eaten breakfast and it was 1030am.  It seemed to help.  The repeats were done with a 400 meter recovery run.  I sure needed the recovery.  My heartrate is sooooo thankful.   Here are the splits:  86 sec (5:46), the first one is always soooo easy and too quick, my goal is 6 even, 89 sec (5:58), 91 (6:06)  did not take in the wind as my friend here, 89 (5:56), yay back from the abyss, 90 (6:00) GOAL : D, 90 (6:00) GOAL :D, 89 (5:56), 90 (6:00), 89 (5:59), 88 (5:53).  DONE!!!   What a "friendly" headwind!!  I just reached deep.  Funny I seemed to pick it up per garmin more so in the wind.  I could see my garmin go down on pace.  Its like a hill in a race, I go slower coming up to it.  Its a mental thing.   And then I push hard up the hill.  I should probably try the reverse.   I may be exerting too much energy this way.  AVG pace for 2.5 miles of SW = 5:58 : D     Glad I finished when I wanted to quit.  Ran home 5 miles at 7:53 avg pace.  

To go from no run at all to 7 miles, how do I count the ways?  Well, I awoke after 4 hours of broken sleep and desired a frosted brownie my husband made Sunday.  So  I ate 1 1/2 pieces with a large glass of milk.  Like that wasn't gonna need some penance for.  I still was like "I'll take the day off and wallow in my brownie mishap".  But then I did my pushups then my arm workout with a window open in my living room and could hear the birds cheering me on for a run with the coolness of the air as a welcome too!!  So I just got out and started out on a nice and easy run.  It once again turned progressive.  I also had a mission with this run.  Yesterday I left my headband, I thought, on the field.   My favorite headband, my only headband.  I drove back yesterday and the ladies at the HS office said try back tomorrow and the janitor said "teenagers are cleptos, you won't see that again".  I was like really?  gone forever?  : (  But I didn't give up hope as today I got the idea to run by there again and check once more.  I was literally drawn to the drinking fountain first out of the way of the office then I thought maybe I will use the bathroom right next to it( I had gone in there when I first arrived at the track yesterday).  Voila, MY HEADBAND!!! LIKE A LONG LOST FRIEND THERE IT WAS!!  AND NO CLEPTO teenage girl dared to take it!!! TAKE THAT.  The janitor didn't have a lot of faith.  Silly story, but hey I am ready for the next run in a snowstorm, my ears will still be warm : D.  Avg pace for 7 miles = 8:17    I felt great the last three miles so I picked it up.  First mile 9:18. Quickest mile 7:31.  Cooldown mile 7:56.   This was supposed to be  a recovery run.   The after the rain falls Spring run was SOOOOOO worth it.  I even saw a few worms Allie. 

Ran a MOST pleasant 1/2 marathon so to speak with Melanie this morning over in Lehi and on the JRP etc....  We picked it up at the end when at over half way we were averaging 8:08 pace (we had some position in the universe problems, so we slowed a bit) to end up for an average pace of 7:52 at the end for 13.1 miles  Cooldown of .4 miles.  Mel was about 8-10 seconds ahead of me by the end.  I was soooo very parched and my arms were sore.  But still I am NO match for the speed queen who took lots of time off this winter.  Now she's burning me : D.  Should have conserved energy yesterday.  We just came up with this run at 830pm last night, at first we weren't even running together and then the pieces started to fit so we worked it out to run together at 630am.  Weather a cool and crisp 30 degrees, but no WIND.  How about that?  Got in  a few good hills with the fine surroundings and wonderful blooms for the sight and smell.  LOVELY.  Birds a chirpin' and hearts a beatin'.  First mile 8:53.  Last mile 7:16.  Getting serious about getting serious now.  Heat wave arriving soon.  

Supposedly a recovery run.  Ran my planned 17 mile course for tomorrow in reverse to the mouth of AF canyon so 7.5 miles of UPHILL  then  I turned right out of the golf course and up that GRUESOME hill out of the AF canyon.  Somehow I averaged a 8:34 mile on that all uphill mile.  Hence the tired feeling on the way home.   Leg muscles achy from yesterday I suppose and I keep forgetting to carb and electrolyte load so today I will do that.  Took the Cedar Hills path home.  Had ONE gigantic downhill and I realized my legs are scardy cats.  Basically I kept the breaks on here because tomorrow its at least 13 miles of MP in that 17 miler and mostly downhill untill the last 2.5 miles.  Still I don't think my legs were prepared for a straight downhill.  I practically kept the same pace on the straightaways as that downhill.  Thats pathetic.    My uphills speed was decent for rest mode.   I kept it real.  Just recovery pace there. No pushing it.   Avg pace for 12.64 miles =  8:30 even.  I think I need an ice bath to shock treat my legs.  

I think I am out of shape or just plain old tired of running fast or is it that I just hit 65+ miles for the week and ran my third SW?  I figure with a nice taper and a couple of nights off the marathon will feel tons better.  Plus this course is waaaayyyy downhill (1700 feet) and over a 1000 of the feet are the first 7.2 miles downhill.  Ouch.  In fact  I caught myself "putting on the breaks" for the first few miles and finally I found some sort of rhythm.  The first 7.2 miles average pace was 6:38!! after my initial slow pace for a good downhill.  I did start this run going UPHILL 2.15 miles the last bit being VERY steep and managed a 8:39 pace there.  UPHILL.  I was slightly adrenaline-ized for this.  I was sooooo  NOT wanting to do it but tried to get in "race" mode on my own and just do it. I started at about 1010am.  Ran the uphill portion feeling pretty strong.  But then thinking no way "this for  1/2 of the 50 miles?  You've gotta be kidding!!"  I will most likely walk a lot in that thing.  Okay back to my run.  Ran 13.1 miles and stopped.  I didn't know my time but I knew my average so I decided to reset my watch to see my time---  it was a 1:29:57 Half Marathon!!!!!!!!!  6:52 average.  If I known I was that close to my PR I would have picked it up (NOT : D).  I did have three water stops along the course that were a HUGE welcome.  I even tried to take a dip in the river.  More like I was trying to put some water on my hands and I nearly fell in at mile 12.  It was hard to pick it up again after this stop for just one more mile.  Then I ran home another 1.75 miles to my house at 7:51 pace.  Average pace for all 17 miles= 7:11.   Splits:  8:46,  8:20, .25 @ 9:52 (MEGA-STEEP, I was delusional), 6:49,  6:41,  6:55 (this was a not so steep downhill),  6:30,  6:26,  6:25,  6:31, 6:58 (rolling hills), 7:14 (rolling hills),  7:11, 7:14 (getting pretty tired of running fast), 7:05, 7:11 (after the almost river fall in),  .1 @ 6:39.  Done with that already.  Took a brief breather and started my uphill trek to my house.  Last splits = 7:54, and .75 @ 7:46 (this was all uphill).  So doing the celebration dance.  My legs don't feel sore YET.  Its mostly my heart rate that was having issue.  Less chocolate chips more protein.  

So very asleep.  Slept two hours went to Amber's soccer game.  Slept 1 1/2 hours got up and went to Brooke and Courtney's soccer games.  They were on the same field at the same time.  We sat in the middle trying not to miss anything.  I missed Brooke score the only two goals for her team.  Hard to focus turning my head back and forth.  Of course I told her "great Goal!!!!".  Anyway, got out for my planned short run to get 70 miles and low and behold my NEW ascics gel cumulus 12s arrived from Arizona!! Yippee!! They feel quite good.  I am barely sore from yesterday and even did 4 pickups to 6 pace for 30 seconds.  Time will tell but I think these shoes are thinking of getting me some PRs.  Crossing toes here.  So tired of searching and spending for the right shoe.  5.25 miles at 8:33 recovery pace.  Nice warm day.  Shorts and visor.  

The SW that should have never been.  Was UNbelievably wiped out.  Chronic fatigue attack hit Monday am.  Could barely move around.  Headache throbbing from lack of sleep. My shoulders felt heavy and  I was not interested in eating.  Just plain exhausted.  Watched the Boston Marathon and even that failed to liven me. At 1pm I made my way out into the searing heat and "tried" my 3 by 2000 meters (1.25 miles).  First warmed up for just over three and ran my goal of 6:15 to 6:20 at 6:19 for the first one.  Feeling ever so headachy I "attempted" the second one that started uphill.  That hurt me and then I had a stop light to stop at or get hit by a school bus and a car turning right but looking left I had to avoid.  Frustrating hurtful 2000m.  Managed a 6:32 for the 1.25.  Gave up on the last one.  The combination of 70 miles last week, working nights with no good sleep, new shoes and the heat was the first clue of NOT doing today's workout.  But I am not one to give up when I really should even if it would benefit me.  Not good.   I currently have a huge atypical migraine of numbness, burning and tingling on the left side of my head, face down my arm to my left foot.  Lovely.  Nothing I haven't been thru many a time but very nerve wracking to say the least and no pun intended.  I think I will have a lazy few days off and attempt a VERY LONG run Thursday before my next two nights in a row.

I am going to try to pull thru this week the best I can.  The headache lasted all night and I awoke with it after my short nap this morning.  I worked last night of course.  My husband has been mudding and taping and just textured yesterday and due to my allergies and the carpet measuring guy coming to my house completely lathered up in cologne I had no chance to rebuke.  I was in for it, since I was already intensely fatigued.  I just got out and ran about .29 miles when I happened across one of our scooters in a church parking lot (not our church).  It had been missing for a month now.  "Mr. Nobody" is the culprit.  That's the term I use when none of my kids fess up to what happened.  So I turned around back to my house for a .29 mile scooter ride.  It worked my thighs good.  Then I had to regroup because even those .29 miles wore me out.  I was going at a 11 pace, how's that for silliness?  I just was going to go as slow as my body would allow me and not stress my heart/body/head at all.  The new shoes have been comfortable to walk in but I notice different joint aches from the non-adaption as of yet.  My legs feel sluggish in them but I really feel they will adapt well soon.  Ran in the heat of the day, but luckily there was a significant wind in parts to cool me down.  8.25 miles at 9:14 pace.  At least I didn't average 11.  My second mile was still a 10.  I was literally trotting with out a care in  the world for the moment. 

Plan was to do 5 miles at PMP (planned marathon pace), hard to do when you don't know really what your PMP is.  I tried for 7 to 7:08.  Was going to do them outside and then the wind picked up and the clouds came in and it began to rain.  So I had to TM it.  Still have quite the headache.  Husband is painting our basement and now my head hurts more and my joints are in pain.  The new shoes have caused a change in muscle use that I am certain I will adapt to soon.  Nothing like the zeroes however.  Ran 3 mile warm up at 8:49, 8:27, 8:00  (2.5 to 3 % incline) pace then ran 7:08, 7:08, 7:05, 7:03  (0.5% incline) and a 6:50  (0 percent).  Done. Two mile cool down at 8:06 and 7:53.  7:08 feels more like my pace, felt real easy but I am feeling quite lousy so maybe I am better than that but not sure about a whole 26.2 miles yet.  Time will tell.  Not sure what my goal is for Ogden--- 3:05 to 3:08?  Dare to dream.  : D     BTW pushups 10 12  7  7  9  = 39.  A long way from only 2 two weeks ago!!!  Sit ups I still need to look at the right way to do them.  Allie?  Pull ups, probably on 1/2 of one.  Haven't tried yet.  Am I missing something? 

Get away recovery run.  Great stress reliever.  The basement painting job is stressfull to watch and learn from.  I am the observer, criticical eye.  I just had  to get out before it consumed me.  First mile so was not wanting to run when two hours earlier I was so excited to go easy.  But as my planned 8 miler got easier and easier as the endorphins hit my bloodstream I just kept going, of course.  I ran on the new trail thu Art Dye park and up by Cedar Hills golf course and down the Cedar Hills path and by the silos.  So very relaxing now.  11.5 miles at 8:25.  Not bad for first mile a 9:38 I think.  Amazing power of a good run.  Things don't look as bad now.   : D

This was right up there with the Top Ten of Time Dead Runs.  I wanted to reach 40 miles by today in hopes of running 23 miles tomorrow but not sure how that's possible since I work again tonight.  Oh and I switched back, hopefully briefly, to my old shoes once again.  My new ones are throwing out my hip/hamstring.  I guess that gives the reasoning behind orthotics working.  The new shoes shift my left foot outward.   My old shoes hold them pretty neutral.  Hmmmm?  They are the same make and model of shoe, just a different year.  But you know how they always try to make a better shoe even if  the old shoe still "fits" so to speak.  3.5 miles at 9:29 pace.   Wind speed 20 mph or more for sure.  It is wicked zooming. 

This was my first NO sleep start of a race.  Meaning I toed the line of the Thanksgiving Point Half  at 7am with Melanie after clocking out from work at 6:30am sleeping only 3 1/2 hours Friday  morning after working Thursday night.  I made a stupid trade for someone and work three Friday nights in a row  : (((.  I never got a moment's rest at work.  Lots of sick babies, crying babies all through the night.   So I didn't register and went to support MelanieB.  I couldn't even make sense out of my legs beneath me.  NO neural drive and no neuron connections to my muscles.  It was as if I was running in slow motion.  My garmin was full and it was the first time it didn't pick up my pace.  I swore I was running 10 minute miles.  The universe was in stand still.  But I thought I'd try my lap button and was glad to see that thru all the MAJOR rolling hills with steep inclines I ran a 7:28 avg (5 miles).  My breathing was never labored I just couldn't get my dead asleep legs to move.  My head was in a cloud and I began to think that I am an ULTRA personality.   I think I could tough out 100 mile runs because of the runs I do on no sleep no matter the pain as the nerves in my legs feel totally fried, burning and I am still pushing through it.  So when I got to the road that crosses past the JRP I started to cross the street and stay in the "race" that I wasn't racing and thought I should just turn off left and get in to the finish line to be there for Melanie's finish.  I got to be right there as the lead guy passed mile 11 and was over 3 minutes ahead of the next guy.  I felt like I was "way in the lead" : DDDD as spectators looked at me.  I tried to stay off the course and ran on the side walks and on the opposite sides of the true course.  I got back with over 10 minutes to spare before Mary Ann S.  came in first followed by a runner I did not recognize.  And another fast BYU track girl and then another and then MELANIE.  Since my garmin was messed up I had no idea where they were at for finish time and when I heard Mel's time I was sooooo proud of her.  1:30!!!!! She is tooo awesome.  I am thinking that work is overated and running is not.  I am taking some time off so I can be a real runner.  I hope that goes over well.  I just got to be brave and stick up for myself.  I am working too much and I am at the end of my rope in survival techniques.  No worries I am sure I will get a grip on myself come Monday's 23 miler.  BTW  I do love my job its just that I love running/racing more.  10.41 miles at 7:15 pace average.  The last five miles I was booking it pretty good at 6:55 to 7:07 pace.  

JULIE'S 23 MILER, running at the seat of her shorts.....basically  here and there and everywhere.  Rather than waste time driving up Provo Canyon to Vivian Park I decided to just take off from my house with no water and one gu.  That's all the gu I have left.  I headed North through Cedar Hills and to Alpine.  Meaning, I headed uphill for over 10 miles and still more hills to 12.5 miles where I crested the Top of Healey Dr. the back way through Alpine a very gorgeous loop and then back on the Golf course trail to the mouth of AF canyon, still going over tremendous amount of hills to mile 17.4  to that infamous STEEP hill at the mouth of  the canyon where a man running down showed his support by saying "just keep at it".  I am sure he never thought I was at mile 17 in my run.  I stayed at it and pushed the pace as much as I could without fuel for the last 6.2 miles.  Did some crazy ending making it an uphill ending so I wasn't spoiled or anything.  I will course tool the run later so you all can check it out elevation wise.  Avg pace 7:57 for 23 miles.  A good effort after being at at a 8:21 average at 12.5 miles.  This run should make me stronger, hopefully.  Luckily the fountain of youth was still running at Alpine Park (a water fountain that is always running spring water) where I took my gu (mile 10.5).  Got two other brief water stops at mile 7.5 at a gas station at the Alpine round about.  The ice cream cookie sandwiches looked so welcoming.  The last water stop was at Cedar Ridge Park on the trailway.  So glad that's open now.  Cruised home.  Forgot I had my music with me and put on my iPod at mile 19.  That helped.  Last big run before Ogden is now over.  YIPPEE!!! SKIPPY!!  : DDDDDD  Splits:  9:12, 8:42, 8:50,  8:46,  8:25,  8:17,  8:08, 8:09,  7:51,  7:52,  7:57,  7:56, 8:16 (good uphill coming to the crest at 12.5 miles),  7:25, 7:55,  8:09 (forever uphill),  7:59 (HUGE UPHILL), 7:06, 7:12, 7:07, 7:07,  7:08, 7:29 (wish I ended on a downhill to look better : D).  Total Time=  3:03:07. 

Recovery afternoon run after dropping my daughter at dance in Cedar Hills.  Ran on the trail and a little off.  Awesome welcomed wind.  It just gave me permission to take it easy and enjoy nature along the way.  Too bad this wind is the preempt to five days of rain in the forecast.  Of course I have three of those off of work.  Ran to total just over a marathon in two days.  3.31 miles at a lovely 9:00 even.   26.2 miles in just under 3:32!!   I love those last nine minute miles!!  Hope to have more in me for the real showing in less than three weeks.  I think I do and that is the first step.  PS I don't want to toe the line at the start but with all the gun versus chip problems with overall and master divisions last year I may have to.  Yuck.  I think I will do what I always do and go toward the end of the first third.  PS I am hoping to place in the masters top three again.  

Plan:  6 x 800 meters at 6:10 pace (TM goes to 6:11 so I settled for that, no point going overboard).  Warmed up for 2.5 miles easy.  Ran all of them at 6:11 except last two I picked it up at the end especially the last one to a 6:00 pace for the last 100 yrds.  32 mph winds kept me from running on the track today.   My left hip/inside hamstring bugging me and I am sore in the arms from working them yesterday which I also compensated with the use of my left leg in place of my wimpy left arm.   Funny, I wasn't sore AT ALL from my 23 miler on Monday.  Then I do arms and I am sore in the upper body.  Totally had to use reverse psychology to get all six done.  First four I ran one lap (.25 miles in between) at 8:00 to 8:13 pace.  To help myself out on the last two I walked .07 miles then got back up to an 8:00 pace before finishing the lap.  I sure appreciated that.  Cooldown to make an even 10 miles for the day at 7:30 to 8:13 pace.  Avg pace for last 8.25 miles = 7:27.   Ready to eat tons now.  And take a hot shower.  Would like to ice in the river but the breeze is not welcoming.  Later.  Next week after the storm passes.

Left hip/hamstring injury.  Day off to implement ancient healing remedy--- REST.

lower left back hip pain bad level 8.   i think its my disc crunching down on my nerve.  I can exact the point of intense pain but it radiates every where around the hip and front of thigh is burning and foot is buzzing.  Off to chiro at 1040am.

The Visit:   Quote:  "Uhhhh   your hip is out a mile".   Nice of him to put it in runners' terms : D.  Also he told me the  reason why new shoes put me in distress is that I keep making "them" conform to "me".  When my shoes are probably right but my foot, hip .... etc...is not.  That's why the old shoes feel just right as I "pounded" them into submission : D.  I am not a conformist apparently.   He adjusted me from head to toe focusing on my hip, foot and tibia. Apparently my tibia also is displaced inward.   He wants me to keep running.  He'll call me later and see how things are going.  I need to see him again next week.  He charges only $15.00 and is quite thorough, has a nice office on main st. in Lehi.  And also to do the piriformis stretch on that leg (lay on your back leg crossed over knee, pull knee in to really stretch it), which BTW hurts like no other.  Pain level went to a 5 to 6 but is currently back at an 8.  Got my prescription for relaxant just now and took 1/2 a tab.  I don't want to be knocked out all day.  Will ice and take ibuprofen as well.  

After two days off and a good friend to run MP with me for 13.1 (the Provo Half Course ) at 7am (actual race started at 8am) I tried to reevaluate the hip/hamstring issue.   First it hurts continuous.  Second starting the run with extreme tightness and lots of pain may not be a bright idea but I still did it.  We were supposed to go easy the first two to three miles but the hail and the wind and the conversation just had us going from the starting line.  Ran the first mile and was stopped by a train for about 4-5 minutes.  Pretty funny.  Luckily the real race did not have that pleasure.  I was hoping for a 7:15  to 7:19 avg pace but with the injury it would have been pushing it.  My breathing was labored as I tried to guard the pain while running.  Eeeeks.  After 5 miles regained strength with a chocolate gu but getting on the River Trail and talking non-stop slowed us.  We were pretty chatty throughout the run.   Obviously not in race mode.  No music.  Just each other and some lovely rain clouds too.  Freeeeezzzing!!!  Put back on longsleeved shirt at mile 10.5 where I had our water station on the bridge.  We passed it twice so was a perfect water/gatorade spot.  All the water stations were up but we weren't registered so we passed up on the water there.  Splits pretty even. If hip was  not  so tight  and painful could have run minutes faster.  Wasn't sore and still am not sore after working all night.  Just a bum hip that is in agony.  Going to Josse's today (Sunday) to get it scraped.  13.1 @ 1:36:49. Avg pace: 7:23.   Splits:  7:36,  7:15, 7:21, 7:22, 7:21, 7:10, 7:17, 7:26, 7:21, 7:31,  7:34, 7:29, 7:14, .11@ 7:19 pace (slowed because we merged with lots of slower 5 kers close to the finish line).   We were at a 7:20 avg until mile 8.  Should have focused and stopped talking  : D.   A lot of "Brrrrsss"  and  "I am frozen" and "why the pouring rain now?".   The slants on the sides of the roads were not at all good for my hip so I ran a lot on the sidewalk the last 1.5 miles. 

Oh boy, started out on my run the same as Saturday--- extremely tight and quite a bit  painful (a 6-7 level), I feel like overnight I have been given this bum hip to work with and its lame!!!  I can't lift my leg well.  I wanted to cry for all the hard work I have been doing and now this two weeks before race day?  Seriously?  At least its not two days before.  The scraping was intense but immediately I felt some release but now, as I was warned, I am sore, marathon sore, in the hip and upper thigh.   And now my groin and lower calf are my most painful areas, where we didn't scrape so obviously the other places worked.  I will have to order the tools and do some self scraping.   Anyway....form totally skeewompous, right leg dragging the left along.  How long can my right leg pull more than its own weight around?  7 miles easy.  Avg pace 8:26.  BTW--- maybe its the cotton blowing around but I was quite dizzy this morning and my sinuses feel pressurized, not stuffed.  Outside was no better and then I saw all the pollen in the air.

ReNEWED HOPE!!! : D    After work let me go home at 4 am because they were tired of seeing me whince in pain.....I came home slept til 830am.   Up for two wondering about this hip that still continued to plague me.    I iced a lot last night.  But that didn't last long.  Then I bloated up like a balloon in my stomach and felt just awful.  So...  I self deep massaged it, hurting now mostly in the front upper hip area.  Had husband hold pressure there.  Hurt so good.  Yowsers.  Went back to bed for two hours got up thinking of a "no run" day.  But just said " I got to get out there or I will give up".  So I put on shorts a nylon t-shirt, headband and gloves and faced the sunshiny wicked windy day.  It felt nice but my hip sure didn't.  The same tightness was coming on with every piece of clothing I put on.  Then as I reached for sneakers I decided "that's it I am going back to my oldies but goodies and sure enough it was a light at the end of the tunnel!!  Unbelievable the tightness gradually lessened with each step I took.  Pain level 4!!!   A 4 was a big step.  And with each passing mile I was feeling stronger and stronger, more hopeful!!  So basically I am opening up a new runner shoe shop called " JULIE'S MISFITS".  I am going to find a way to mold these shoes and have them hand made for me.  Hip still has gnawing pain but tightness improving tons since the change back.  So what if I don't conform?  so what if I am mal-aligned.  I'd rather be pain free with a poor form!!    Avg pace 8:19 for 7.11 miles.  I somehow went thru the "PG Triangle" at mile 6 my garmin stopped working.  It didn't show time moving or anything.  All keys were locked and suddenly it went off.  Then when it came back on it added my old time to my new mileage with a direct point to point.  It gave me a nice avg of 8:12 instead and 7.65 miles.  Weird.  Of course I knew better.  I was only just over a mile from home.  No cheating here.  To follow....excerpts from JULIE'S CHRONOLOGY OF AN INJURY...stupid human tricks not to be done at home....and a class I offer on-line for free "How Not To Train"  and other helpful hints to avoid injury.  

Had to get up in the middle of the night due to intense spasm-like pain in my lower left abdomen radiating to my left hip and upper and inner thigh.  Heat helped and I could finally fall back to sleep.  But that isn't going to stop me from being a die hard "got to do the workout" planned person I am.  I warmed up on a hilly course around town in PG for 4 miles then did a 3 mile tempo at short tempo speed (goal 6:50 to 6:55).  Started on a good downhill to help my turnover with this bum hip and MY CONFIDENCE.  First 1/2 miledownhill  last half mile flat (6:33).  It felt very controlled, not pushed at all.  I had to stop dead as the traffic passed on Canyon Rd. (1/2 mile mark) so lost the downhill momentum.  Stop was only three seconds. Second mile slight down hill and flat then verrry slight downhill (6:35).  Third mile--Now I am on the flat to slight uphill part of 1100 north going west into the wind and the road is all broken up on the sides.  I am having to wave cars to move over so I don't have to run in the torn up road (they are supposed to be paving it soon).  I try to be tough in the slight headwind and busy-ness but my left leg has decided to give out on me and become even tighter and I slow.  This mile a 7:10.  I was also doing this run on no fuel except two pieces of whole wheat toast and almond butter an hour and 1/2 beforehand.  No water.  I could feel it wanting to come up that last mile.  Avg for the three miles= 6:45. Total mileage 10.  Avg pace for all= 7:49. Splits:   9:16,  8:06,  8:43, 8:08,  6:33, 6:35, 7:10,  8:08,  7:53,  7:41.  I think I psyched myself out that last mile.  Those first two miles felt sooo easy, I thought wow I am going to PR in a 5K just running out on the streets and then the uphill came and I couldn't hang in that tough.  I better do some brain re-training before 10 days from now!!!

7 DEATH-LIKE MILES.  Rated # 2 for worst run ever.  7 @  8:46 pace.

Bike ride. #1     2 miles round trip to kids school at 9am.  BRRRRRrrrr!!  What's with the frozen WIND?   #2   9 miles on AF River trail and by Lone Peak and back down.  Hip/seat muscles (adductors) very sore achy at first.  Using totally different muscles than running.  Sciatic pain was an 8 all night at work.  Relieved more as morning wore on and a massage by my husband.  Took ibuprofen more liberally than I am used to as well.  No pain in back during bike ride except for muscle twinges from pedaling that was cured with standing up pedaling.     Rode to daughter's school for her "Author's Fair".  Listened to her well thought out story about a bird and a girl.  For seven she is quite the long DETAILED story writer.  The longest in her class her teacher told me.  #3  1 mile bike ride home.  Total  miles 12.  Last longer MP run tomorrow with Kim for 8 miles with a three mile warm up.  She promises to run MP and not some 1/2 MP.  We'll see.  GOOD NEWS-- I got in to the St. George Marathon.     SAD NEWS-- Kim did not.  FRUSTRATING.  I am happy but not happy.  We are both irritated.  Some people sign up in the "oh I better sign up cause it fills up, but I am not sure I will run it" in order to at least secure a spot and others like Kim who are shooting for under 3 hours and definitely will run it come the end of the earth only to stop her don't get in.  ARgghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!  Anybody have secret ways to get in besides $1000 to charity?  

Met Kim at 6:35 am.  Ran slowly up to the mouth of AF canyon, mentally preparing myself for 8 MP miles which will always end up faster than that when I am with speedy energizer fueled by no entry to SGM aggression runner Kim.  In fact poor Kim had to conform to my slowness as we headed out.  She ran a mile to my house first.  She wanted more miles.  I also stopped at the Fire Station to take a gu and a drink of water at the park bathrooms there.  Still feeling sluggish as we crested the hill but it was all mental for the plan ahead.  Ran 8 miles.  5 were rolling downhill on the Cedar Hills Pathway, with some on dirt terrain (about .4 miles) and  the rest on roads going up hill.  We stayed on the path at the Cedar Hills Golf course after surging down the hill before AF canyon ( the one I usually am climbing).  That was a nice start and then rolling downhill descent.  The rolling hills is what I wanted as it simulates quite closely the last 8 miles of Ogden.  Ending with three uphill miles the last being the greatest ascent, all uphill to my house.  Splits quite under MP of course.  Hope that makes next week seem real easy when I run my own race.  Here they are:  6:40, 7:02, 6:49, 6:51, 6:56, 7:04, 7:04, 7:13 too much uphill and All mental for me.  At least I didn't completely fall apart.  The first four miles were quite the hoot: 8:55, 9:19, 9:27, 9:28.  Total unmotivated pace and all straight uphill, the direct route to the start of the 8 miler.  

......and the headache hits with a vengeance.  left sided trigeminal neuralgia...burning nerve pain in the face (cheek, ear, forehead), back of head (occiput), left shoulder and shoulder blade.  So the pain has moved on for the most part to my head and shoulder...I think I prefer the leg pain to the face pain except its harder to run with leg pain : D.  I also have some patchy numbness in the left leg too and only brief deep nerve pain in the upper thigh.  Nothing like that was like only two days ago.....This is why I don't like doctors.  They have yet to figure this all out.  I hate this pain.  The nerve pain is ridiculous but it comes in these waves every few weeks to a month or so and last usually only three days sometimes longer.  This time it has been over a week switching all over the place.  ....which makes me still ponder that MS diagnosis....but I am not ready to come to that conclusion just yet.. My grandfather ended up in a wheelchair with that diagnosis.   A few years ago there were three spots on my brain on an MRI.  They repeated it and they were gone.....luckily no further spots two years ago.  The malformation was "fixed" but that doesn't explain the continued intense nerve pain.  So I just continue to go on and on seeming like some hypochondriac which I am not.  I run to escape the pain and the frustration.  Trust me running does not make it worse unless I am overdoing it.  I tried not running for months and all it did was make my symptoms worse and me more depressed.  Sorry about this "all about me" post but when this headache/pain in my face hits I sit and wonder "what the heck? really? again?"  No doctor visits because no one cares too much to dig deep.  Haven't found the right doctor or the energy to be the patient again.  My GP just shakes his head and says its neurological, here try this medication.  At least I am hopeful this wave will be over before Ogden.  I am ready to have a nice run down the Canyon with the possibility of a big PR there.  Hopefully a marathon PR.  

Face still numbish with some burning nerve pain on left side.  Feels like my left ear is under water.  Allergies?  Does this every May/June and other nonspecific times of the year.  It also involves my muscles.  My left shoulder and shoulder blades have tons of sore areas and I have done no upper body.  I call them my trigger points.  If I touch the area which I do often to try to rid my body of whatever is staying put in there, I can feel pain in other distant areas like down the inside of my arm and up the back of my neck to my face.  They are quite painful.  I don't know how to break the cycle when it gets this bad.  Benedryl puts me into a coma and very non-me like feeling but it may have to happen.  Anyway still ran the schedule 6 x 400 meters since it was short with 400 meter recovery.  Ran 2.25 mile warm up to the AF track.  Here are the splits in for the 400s:  89 (5:59), 91 (6:05), 88 (5:53), 87 (5:48), 89 (6:00), 89 (5:57).   Goal was  5:55 to 6:00).  That second one was slow due to a lack of a visual on my garmin. My garmin was in a no pace showing mode for whatever reason so it was very annoying not being able to see where I was at.  After two 400s I had to reset my watch to at least see the first two splits to gauge my effort.   I had to keep reseting my watch for the last four to see those splits at the end.  My garmin just told me when the lap ended and how far I had left, starting and ending with the five beeps.  I don't know how it got out of showing me my pace, switching screens like it used to.  Arghh.  Got to figure out these glitches by Saturday.  Ran 2.25 miles home real slow.

Storks dropped off from all directions last night and I was the lucky admit nurse....Got lots of help though because its hard to get quads (from different moms ) all at the same time and then another set an hour later and then another set and another.....seriously?  Yes.  I also diagnosed a serious situation in one single look, but that's my job and has been for years.  Babies are my thing. I clocked out 1 1/2 hours later than shift end time with a no lunch deduction.  No time to sit back and review the night, just shoulder to the wheel all night long.  Passed up on any sort of running today.  Absolutely need the rest day.  Tomorrow is a 7 miler with three at MP.  Still have the numbness nerve pain in the back of my neck and side of face.  Waxes and wanes all day long.  A lot worse when I pass by perfume/cleaners.  This too shall pass is my motto for the week.   Got things to do Saturday : D.

Plan:  3 @ MP, whatever that is.  Three days and we will find out.  I am thinking around 7:10 to 7:15, cross fingers.  Anyway.....So I get out there and think of doing a "dress rehearsal" but it is just too damp and cold at the moment.  Wore sweat shirt over nylon shirt, shorts, headband, gloves and iPod (and my new running shoes that have been beat into submission).  First "warmup" (faster than my usual) mile 8:15, second 8:14, and .5 at 8:10 before the MP miles began on an honest mostly flat course with some slight inclines and declines to keep it real.  Seriously the garmin and I are in a  love/hate relationship.  I sure miss the days that I "pretended" to run faster with a regular watch : D.  I keep it at showing my avererage pace for the lap, current average and overall average, and of course distance run.  I know three numbers to wheel in my head but it keeps my OCD in gear at all times.  This is new.  I just started doing this after Melanie and I ran together 13 miles.  She saw the average and I was clueless.  So to step it up and make me push it more I changed over.  Top Secret info?  Not, just lack of using my big money watch to its fullest.  Getting there.  Okay here are my MP/1/2 MP?  splits:  7:00, 7:01, 6:44.  Average pace for 7 miles= 7:35.  It actually felt easy but my heartrate was working more on my stomach because I ate the BIGGEST breakfast, over 500 calories!!  It didn't come up though : D.    I don't like to eat that much before running but I didn't eat or drink much yesterday.  In fact I am pretty dehydrated right now after that long shift and coma day yesterday when I didn't feel like eating or drinking.  But now its time to refuel so I can float down the Ogden Canyon with ease : D.    I am getting more and more "chompy".  That's a new word for the day.  It means I am chomping at the bit and raring to go.