Believe to Achieve

notice the four hours sleep.Yup up til 1am to work by 6am.  coma morning at work.  luckily patients have cleared out and only a few moms and babies around for the new year.  I worked until 1230 and came home utterly comatose and in shock with the cold temps with a looming sun.  seriously????  My leg also is in the most pain it has EVER been in-- the whole hip to hamstring in some sort of painful burning spasm.  I started out with an ace bandage around my upper thigh and removed it within 20 minutes as it was suffocating me.  The pain was so intense that  I couldn't tell if I were that cold or not.  I have never had such a tight leg in spasm in all my life.  Ibuprofen didn't touch it along with half a pain pill last night.  This sucks.  I am almost 44 and it show!!!!   I was able distract myself with NEAR death car/runner incidents and crunchy snow afoot and running to what I feel safer ground  is from the watch out you may crash and burn terrain.  Kinda of over the meadown and through the woods....kind of run.  This way and that up and around Mt Timponogos temple and into the sweat freezing temps.  Gotta love it.  I tried to predict my pace.  The effort was there in this INVERSION THICK air so I should be pleased with the 8:16 AP for 10.03 miles.  Mileage and pace hidden the entire run.  So works for me.  Now to thaw out.  Happy New Year!!!

saucony fives, flats.  My feet are tired of elevation runs in the nikes.  Flats give my feet a break and the TM is soft enough. Plan was an easy 10 miler then my neighbor got on the TM next to me and said she was running some hills.   I joined her when she did them-- she was running 8 percent for 1 minute.  I had already run a mile.  I started at 8:20 pace and increased my pace by 0.1 mph every half mile til I got to 7:24 pace (five miles) and then laddered down but dropped pace slower on the way down-- so dropped by 0.1 miles every mile (instead of 1/2mile as before) so my pace stayed at a faster pace and got to 7:41 when I reached 10 miles but added some speed play at the end to 9.5 to 10mph for the last 0.2 miles.  For hills (my neighbor left after she ran two hills with me) I would alternate my increased pace every half mile with the opposite half mile increasing the incline to 6 percent (BASICALLY every 1/4 mile I was EITHER increasing the pace or running that pace at 6% for a minute the next 1/4 mile, work it !!!  ).  I would run exactly a minute at 6 percent. The tm takes about 15 seconds to get there.   SO in the entire run I ran a total of 17 minutes of hills at one point running two of the minutes at 7:24 pace.  Majority of the hills were run at 7:30 to 7:35 pace.  First 7.8 miles in 60:04 when the TM changes to cooldown mode for two minutes so  I reset the tm.  Got on for a few more hills after my first water break and then ended up running the last 2.2 miles at 7:30 AP to cooldown (with speed play as above for the 0.2).    I started stretching a made the mistake of peeking in on a power pump class.  My neighbor ( a different one) happily grabbed me and got me to do the last 45 minutes of the class.  Oooooo baby.  Work it!!  I need to do this class again.  I am so not strong!!!  Especially my abs!!!  Squats o'rama.  Hope I can move tomorrow.  So far I can't tell I went.  Time will tell.

Last night Courtney and I went to see Les Miserables at 630pm.  We pretty much cried through the entire movie.  We had the lower section all to ourselves.  It was very nice.  I couldn't fall asleep until past 11pm and when I got up I was so sore in my lower back, arms and legs it was funny.  I dragged myself to the rec center not knowing what to expect.  Plan was 10 tm miles but I changed it to some on the track and some on the tm and then I was like "why not just run all the miles on the track and be done already".  I didn't stop once but was very dry in the mouth by mile 5.  The heater was on blowing in my face every lap very dry air.  I was the only person running "fast" on the track.  I lapped everyone at least a dozen times.  And I was running easy.  I counted my laps and didn't wear my watch but waited for the clock at the track to turn to 8:10 am and started.  I ran until I ran 5 x 13 laps (13= 2 miles).  I would reset my "fingers" every 13 laps so I couldn't lose count.  My first two miles AP was 8:14.  Man alive was I stiff as a board.  So funny from my cross training yesterday and earlier this week.  My AP was 7:56 by mile 10 just going easy.   6.5 laps for a mile is a lot of turning but not as bad as some tracks I have heard other bloggers running on.  I really wanted to change directions as my left IT band has been bugging me and the direction was turning to the left.  I really needed a NONtreadmill run though.  The treadmill makes me want to pick up the pace. On the track I just ran by how I felt.  Recovery run.  Oh yah-- helping my daughter with her science project-- two mile time trials of 9 kids ranging from 10 to 14 years.  Today while the time trial was going on (my daughter was tallying the laps)  I tried out a new elliptical machine at 4pm and did that for 8.5 minutes. Okay everytime I do the elliptical which is not much at all it take me twice as long to go a mile.  In this time I only got to 0.45 miles!!!!  I was wearing my clothes and high heeled shoes but really??????

saucony 5s.  Could not in this weather run outside before work.  Worked all day. Ate extremely poorly for me.  Cheeseburger and fries just sounded good today.  Topped off with a large macadamian nut chocolate chip cookie.  GEEZ!!!  Plan was to go home and avoid taking my daughter to the rec center.  I told my husband to take her but he wouldn't.  So I got home at 715pm and got dressed in a hurry to help my daughter out in her exercise plans.  I hurried so I couldn't feel the intense fatigue  I feel at the end of a shift as I enter my house.  I tried to "talk" up the run to myself on my drive home.  Slowly I revived my brain to the thought--- run 8:30 the 8:00 then 7:30 etc... for miles...thinking 8 miles....but Courtney saved me!!!  Yahoo she only wanted to workout for 30 minutes!!  Ah what a relief.  My run turned to a 4 miler.  That was a LOAD off my mind.  So instead I increased my pace by 30 seconds every HALF mile.  Like this (1%)-- 8:27, 8:00, 7:30, 7:00 ap (7:03 one 1/4, 6:58 last 1/4) , 6:31, then ladder back down-- 6:58, 7:24 x 2 miles with some pick ups to 7:13 pace and a fast finish to 6:31 for about 0.1 miles.  Mentally it was easier to do this then one pace the whole time.  After going to 6:31 pace everything else felt easy.  LET ME TELL YOU I WAS SUPER WORRIED --- I was about to hurl and MY LEGS LOOK GIGANTOUS!! LOTS OF SWELLING IN THEM.  NO JOKE!!!  Pitting EDEMA, YIKES!!  They are still a little sore from the Squats and my cousin visiting did not help. She makes me eat lots of crap I normally would NOT eat.  AP 7:21 for 5 miles (SNUCK in one more mile, so ME)  215 foot elevetion gain :D .   Sweat turned to ice in 10 seconds outside.  Gotta love this weather-- if you were a Polar Bear of course.

-6 degrees. 15.48 miles. slowly conquered the elements.  13 miles with Rachel running ny half in pleasant grove. ran to and from the start/finish. lots of thin layers to keep "warm". almost lost my nose. 9:00AP. some wicked uphills. some windchill.  good company.  three stops no watch stops. ALIVE!! need i say more. oh no water and no fuel except my fat.

saucony fives.  2 miles wu 1% @ 8:00 pace.  Off tm to reset, water, stretch, less than two minutes.  THEN

1 min wu 8:00 pace

1 min @ 6:00 pace,  1 minute @ 8:00 pace (all 8:00 paces at 1%, SW at 0 %)

2 min  @ 6:15 pace, 2 min @ 8:00 pace

3:15  @ 6:31 pace, 2:45 @ 8:00 pace

4:30 @ 6:40 pace; 3:30 @ 8:00 pace

6 min @ 6:49 pace; 4:00 @ 8:00 pace

6 min @ 6:49 pace; 3:00 (not a typo, making up for wu minute as tm shuts off for cooldown at 60 min and this ladder is 60 minutes long starting with the speedwork).

4:30 min @ 6:40 pace; 3:30 @ 8:00 pace

3:15 min  @ 6:31 pace;  2:45 @ 8:00 pace

2 min @ 6:15 pace; 2 min @ 8:00 pace

1 min @ 6:00 pace; 1 min @ 8:00 pace

Then cooldown another virtual lap around the track (1/4 mile) at 8:00 pace and sometimes a little faster.  8.72 miles (not including 2 mile wu) in 62 minutes which = 7:06 AP.  Total 10.72 miles in 1:18:03.  Haven't figures that overall AP probably 7:12 (just did the math--7:16).  ALL of this felt like a doable workout.  Definitely have the paces accurate for the amount of minutes.  The easiest part was the 6 minutes at (fantasy marathon pace) 6:49 x 2 and the 6:40 for 4:30 x 2.  I made this workup out in my mind when I awoke this morning, or was it when I was drifting off to sleep??  If it weren't for my quite painful ankle/bone pain this would have been right up there with one of my funnest workouts.  Endorphins by halfway through helped me endure it all well.  DANG heel!!!  This is the injury I sustained while playing soccer with Amber--stopping her flying ball with my ankle.  Never again!!!  sorry wish I were wearing an ankle brace at the time.  Feel like I need one now.  

PM-- Family Home Evening Activity-- Rec Center.  20 minutes Cybex (elliptical) trainer varying degrees of height and resistance.  Good sweat.  One mile.  Makes me laugh.  Then 20 minutes upper body weights with some planks/squats.

zero miles and of course my ankle is KILLING me.  And I refuse to go to the Dr.  High deductible plan. So any witch craft I will try first which to me is MORE running. That will teach my injury a lesson!!! this is still the soccer injury lingering to the Nth degree.  I told Rachelle that 99.9 percent of regular people would NOT run if their ankle felt like mine did.  Probably about 70 percent of addicted runners like myself wouldn't run either.  I would like to throw in a few explatives with this pain.  It is mesmerizing.  One thing I really need to get back on since it has been three months.....is IRON.  Last time my joints hurt like this my level plummeted from 25 to 10.  The worse pains in my joints I ever had was 2010 and my level was 5!!!  My last level was taken just after I got iron transfusions x 2 in April-- it was 62.  Ahhhh....!!!!  Amazing.  Except I already injured myself with the plantar fascitis so it did nothing for me but let me bike for miles on my mountain bike without stopping.  Worked all day.  Painters painting away with remodeling.  VERY intense headache.  Withdrawals from second day without chocolate and the fumes. 

Wasn't going to run but I awoke suddenly just before 5am and thought....hmmmmm just maybe I could get in a few miles.  I tested out my ankle--- OUCH , so I stretched it for a few minutes and decided to give it a try.  I was pulled to Utah Valley Hospital and my shift starts at 6am.  I was back at 535am and got in 4.12 miles at 8:17 pace.  It was quite cold.  14 degrees but watch said it "felt like" 0.  Oh well...I hear a heat wave is on the way.  Massive fog on my drive to work.  10 foot visibility on the onramp in Pleasant Grove.  I clocked in at 6:02.  I changed at work.  No time to change at home.  Long day at work.  So very tired by the end of the day.  Troy took the kids to the rec center and I laid comatose in bed with a THROBBING ankle and very achy back.  OH YAH-- lots of stress-- after spending 1650 for our car to be fixed in late October and 600 dollars for our Ford to pass inspection (tires and exhaust) my Honda once again gave me trouble yesterday and we are without a second car.  The clutch was completely GONE.  I think the stress of all this pay out on top of OBAMA-SCARE (care) taking 100 dollars more out of each of my paychecks is really wearing on me.  Sure Bush spent 3 trillion dollars and got us into debt but OBAMA got us 13 trillion dollars into debt.  All for his idea of free medical care.  I am tired of working for those who don't even try to work.   I understand some people have issues but the majority of people---LAZY and want something for nothing.    I took a patient out who said they were on medicaid and couldn't afford a procedure on their baby boy (circ) and her mother offered to pay it.  I told my patient "that is nice your mom will pay for the circumcision (elective procedure btw)".  She said "my mom can't afford it either, she is on medicaid".  I proceeded to discharge my patient and walk her out to her car--- UMMMMMMM  a HUMMER??????? are you for reals???  a NICE HUMMER--- LIKE BRAND NEW!!!!!!!!!  a car I will NEVER ever get for myself.  Not to mention the nice clothes they were wearing.  It is hard NOT to judge. 

The pain in my back and foot were really wearing on me.  Ibuprofen doesn't even touch it.  So I took 1/2 muscle relaxant and it knocked me out for 7 hours straight when my alarm went off.  I could have slept three more hours the way I felt.  I was meeting Kim and Jane so I had to budge.  Oh my heck I was sooooo tired.  I ran the first mile in over 9 minutes.  I still had my garmin in hide mode but I know where the 1/2 mile mark is.  It read 4:42!!!!  That is 9:24 pace!!!!!!  I met up with Kim and Jane at about one mile.  We ran a HILLY route of course as usual. Lucky for me Jane (15 weeks pregnant) had to stop three times to pee.  Kim had to stop two times for other reasons-- not in sync with each other.  Kind of funny.  I had no such issues EXCEPT a very PAINFUL ankle and then ALL MY joints were hurting.  Must be all the detoxing from paint fumes and a low iron.  Off to good earth today.  So without my slow first mile, my average would have been 7:35  (Kim's garmin) but instead it was 7:42 for 10.87 miles.  I honestly don't know how it was even that quick with the way I felt.  We talked a lot.  I did a lot of the talking.  I hadn't run with Kim and Jane since mid December.  Just went to the Health Fair-- BP 117/75 (excellent), Blood sugar 75 (way good!!), cholesterol 174 (wish they had the HDL and LDL totals for a more realistic viewing, under 200 is where you want to be but the HDL/LDL ratio is very important, you want more HDL).  LASTLY my body fat was 28.2% with the hand held gripper you hold out in front of you.  I have never been lower as I recall.  The lady told me it is not as accurate as it could be as it measures from the chest up where I have a good sized bust and I am broad shouldered and carry a lot of fat just above my waist.  No fat in my butt or legs.  Geez!!!  At least the reading is normal--- 18 to 30 percent-- but the high end is not a happy state for me.  I just started weight training last week and stopped eating chocolate three days ago.....maybe that will help.  Running doesn't help cause it makes me hungry for more carbs.

Time to get fat and out of shape.....time off from running....four weeks.  Ankle and lower right back asking for trouble.   the pain was just too intense but fought off tje urge to take a presribed pain killer.  tendinitis, disc, or stress fracture...hmmm or all three. 

worked all day in NICU at Utah Valley.  Foot and back very painful.  Really bummed. 

worked all day.  back pain subsiding somewhat....but ankle is ridiculous.  The longer I am on it the more it throbs.  It even throbs laying down.  Disc? stress fracture???  I don't want to go to three drs to get an accurate dx.  Trying to get into Josse's chiropracter but really feel I need an x-ray/bone scan.  Is the back related to the foot Or are they separate issue-- the ankle causing the back pain from running on it since I stopped that soccer ball and continued to run and run.  I first noticed it the beginning of December.  Going off chocolate. Had a major relapse..finished up all the remainder of chocolate in my house and really feel strongly it is important for me to avoid.  Read a great article about Copper toxicity which I have and CHOCOLATE is the number ONE food to avoid. AND  copper levels that are high make you excitatory and unable to sleep and revved up/keyed up, muscle pains/nerve pains.  If Copper levels are high ZINC levels are low. Zinc is important for immune health and is a calming element.  After excessive high levels of Copper for long periods one goes thru phases of highs and lows...cravings for foods that are actually high in copper when in a low....to try and stimulate brain/body function when in a low state from overexhaustion.  AND ODDLY enough I have been doing just that -- CRAVING chocolate and I eat a whole avocado at a time. The number TWO item on the list of high copper foods. VERY odd indeed.  Craving avocados?? seriously eating a whole one in a day?????  This could not be coincidental.  I had no idea avocados were high in copper.  I just really craved it.  Nuts is third in line.  Been taking handfuls at a time.  So....here I go--- need some zinc supplements and iron and b complex (ran out of all of them, iron over three months ago). 

Quite depressed last night as my scale had me up 8 pounds from SGM weight.   Toxins from foods and poor eating.  I watched myself the last few days and instead of going down I went up.  But oddly enough over night I lost 4.5 pounds of water weight.   I had to get up to pee 3 times!!!  My body figured out that I was watching my diet.  NO more chocolate.  OR avacados and more zinc foods.  Probiotics again and took my really expensive IRON supplement (liquid iron from floradix).  Ready for change.  BUT DANG nab it this ankle refuses yet to feel better.  I really feel like I have a stress fracture??? or it really could be pseudogout--which is a build up of calcium prophylate sp?? in bones rather than uric acid in regular gout.  It can last for weeks.  Not sure what but man alive the heel bone throbs.  After an hour of standing my back began to throb again so I just don't know what the deal is.  Last time my bones hurt this much my iron level was 5.  So hence..IRON to the max the next two weeks.     MORNING-- 9:30 am SPIN CLASS-- cycled exactly 60 minutes. THEN upper body weights for 20 minutes at rec center.  10 minutes ABS at home.  First real abs exercises in like years.  Usually I do planks and side planks but since my heel is an issue I have to not put any pressure on it.

4:30 pm---  cybex trainer for 30 minutes while Courtney gets her workout in.  She is going strong.  Also took my other two girls and one of their friends. 

spin class.  60 min exactly : D.  ooo baby, make it burn!!  oh yah 15 minutes elliptical before class.  3 x 10 pushups with ball (can't put pressure on heel so can't do regular pushups but the ball with it at my shins comes pretty close to the same effort--I actually prefer it that way it feels like I am just using my arms and my legs don't have to work too hard holding me in form).  2 hours shopping, double coupon, price matching : D.  Lots of money saved today.   Podiatry appt on Monday.  Ankle just not happy.  Hurt more in afternoon (I guess after affects from spin??) yesterday.  Didn't hurt doing elliptical but more than I would like during spin.  Comfry ointment applied with plastic wrap per McKenzie.  Going to read and take a nap before kids get home.  Eating healthy is soo healthy...just had apple slices with almond butter for a snack!!!

new intense elliptical like machine.  can't remember the name of it.  30 minutes causing large droplets of sweat to drip from pores I didn't know I had.  Then cybex trainer for 30 minutes.  Two weeks ago I tried it out and kept it at a comfortable level while my kids were working out (I had already worked out that day).  NOW after doing the first workout this machine felt so very EASY at the level I tried before so naturally I had to test myself out.  Maybe spin class is making me stronger after all??  769 calories (400 first machine, 369 the second) burnt in one hour.  I am sure accuracy issues exist there.  Anyway....I lost at least three pounds in sweat.  Too bad have to drink all back in : D.  Going strong on my diet....Oatmeal with flaxseed (no sugar added) for breakfast with homemade dried apples and a glass of milk.  HOWEVER I am not perfect and Troy wanted to go out for lunch and we had a gift card for Taco Amigo from his dad for Christmas.  Luckily they think I eat like a bird and the servings are very small.  I had a taco salad in a tortilla hard shell only it was 1/2 the size of the kind I have gotten other salads.  I also got chicken in mine.  Root beer is my vice out to fast food restaurants so Troy got one with his meal....I had some :D.  Back on track this afternoon.  OKAY my ankle was NOT happy during both workouts above. BLAH.  Podiatrist appt on Monday is a long wait.  SO I am wearing my boot from my bunion surgery in 1996.  It has come in handy this last year with all my feet problems.  I also just bought a liquid calcium/magnesium and vitamin d3 supplement that was on sale at good earth.  if I have a stress fracture it is time to dose up the bones.   although it said it was blueberry flavored (naturally) it didn't take the chalkiness away.  YIKES...I can do it...just 32 servings--so 32 days.   PM-- with Courtney, Amber and Brooke L. at the rec center-- elliptical x 10 minutes--- wow fastest elliptical mile I have ever done!! weird.  Used to take me 14 minutes!!  Then five minutes on cybex trainer.  This was to warm up to upper body weights 2 sets x 12.  Abs at home. 

wow this new year is starting off with a bang...or dud is more like it.  worked all day on Peds.  Not a bad day except for constant pain with every step of my ankle.    Yay.  Got to see Rachelle at lunch and she witnessed my poor diet choices today as a result of my busy day and getting to lunch at 230!!  But ate healthy the remainder of the day.  Not sure what to think...without a concrete diagnosis I have no treatment plan-- thoughts have been (a couple of pediatrician opinions)-- stress fracture of the calcaneus, bursitis of the heel, Sever's disease (chronic inflammation of the insertion site of the achilles tendon with the heel bone) a long lasting prognosis!!   Wondering a lot of things right now....if this heel were better I am so on for this Grand Slam but the pain is not runnable.  Complete halt to running.

WON a FREE ENTRY to the American Fork Half Marathon for telling the most embarrassing running story on facebook.  : D.   The story was defiintely embarrassing.  You can look it up on facebook under Americanf Fork Half Marathon.

This AM---Spin class 6am.  60 minutes exactly of spinning.  If the class doesn't go exactly 60 (ie--cooldown and stretching for 5 of the minutes) I still bike at a good effort til my stop watch says 60.  Just the OCD cardio woman I am. Stretched then tried my first GIG at running since a week ago yeterday...1  lap around the indoor track (6.5 laps equals a mile).  Just seeing if I can even run after a cycle class or after a week off and a bum ankle (but a SUDDEN improvement in the last 24 hours, crossing fingers writing this) Pace 8:40.  Felt so very easy since spin is ridiculously hard.   TODAY THE SPEAKERS went out at 15 minutes so no music for 45 minutes of spinning.  WHICH means more talking to the instructor cause I am a talker and a yeller in spin.   Drove home.  Took kids to school and came back at the gym at 8:10am with Troy and did 30 minutes of THAT hard elliptical (not the regular one).  I burned  411 calories (last time 400) in a half hour (even if it is not accurate I am using it as my guide to compare to previous 30 minute workouts on the same machine).  THEN I just wanted to try out my heel...except it hurt on this workout....it is the closest to running for me...dang...so I trotted around 1 1/2 laps.  Pace 9:00.  My legs WERE so tight from the elliptical, like I had done 100 squats before running.  Not risking any more than that running. I  will do a one to two short jaunt if all continues to improve next week.  Meaning 2-3 laps of running just to remind myself of who I am.  Finished my workout today with 30 minutes on the cybex trainer--- 376 calories burned (last time 369).   Did lots of work with stairstepper like distance.  Pretty intense but not like the other machine.  It doesn't bother my ankle at all and I quite enjoyed myself doing a random stride and knee lifts to increasing the resistance to its max for a minute as well (100).  Can feel my legs getting stronger....muscles I never engage otherwise.  This may help me overall.  Four months from today is Ogden Marathon!!!  And I am taking three more weeks off of running if I happen to heal in that time.  Please oh Please I hope I do.  Ate well this morning--- PLAIN greek yogurt with half a banana when I came home before workout #2.  After workout #2--Two pieces whole grain toast with butter and almond butter and 1/4 glass of orange juice.  I love orange juice too much I think.  No colds for me so it must be working.  Been taking the liquid iron for five days now. And liquid calcium, magnesium and vitamin D for three days.  Also taking a fish oil supplement, vitamin B complex and extra vitamin D (2,000 iu) since I am still not in normal range.  I might be now actually. I have been pretty consistent with that.   No treats.  Been good there.  I am not perfect as yesterday will contest. 

12 minutes cybex trainer.  Spin class 60 minutes.  She was tough on me!!  Lots of HILL climbs in the saddle.  Yikes.  Good thing the fan was blowing on me or I would have collapsed.  20 minutes upper body weights.  3 laps around track (6.5 to a mile).  Ankle didn't need that.  Crippled again.  or is it my back???  my back is hurting and suddenly my ankle hurts worse.    But it is visibly swollen so who knows what the heck.  Courtney joined me so it made everything tolerable.  Yucky haze today outside crystallizing all the towns.

1 mile on track nice and easy testing out waxing and waning ankle.  More waning then waxing.  Walking felt nearly pain free when I awoke but running not so much.  Questioned weather I should do the mile.  Oh well here I go. 

8:36 min mile track.

10 minutes cybex trainer.  280 calories burned.  Worked it good.  Up to max height and 40 percent.

61 minutes cycling.  Spin class is just so intense!!! 

20 minutes Cybex trainer.  2 minutes at 8,10, 12, 14,16, 18, 20 and mostly at 40 percent occasionally higher to 45 to 60 percent. Average bpm -- 138.  Always above target :D. 

7:33 mile around the track.  That felt better. No pain. Amazing endorphins.  Felt real easy.

20-25 minutes upper body weights.  Abs too!  Done.    BRRRrrr... quick jog to my frozen car since I have been at the rec 2.5 hours!!! 

Worked all day on pediatrics.  No place for me to workout since I can't run.  And too tired to go to the rec center after a long day at work with three patients in three different areas of the unit. Lots of walking on a hurt foot. 

hard to get up and drive to Utah Valley hospital again.  Thought I was working pediatrics again but got pulled to Newborn ICU : D, my favorite.  Even more tired after the second 12.5 hours shift.  So nope, no work out.  Just resting at home after a nice orange chicken dinner by Troy.  Should fuel me quite a bit for tomorrow's workout.  Not happy about UNhappy ankle.  Going nowhere.  There is a tendon that is bulging out in the medial aspecto my ankle and on my calcaneus.  I just don't know what to think of it all.  Wish I could turn back time.

Two days off and lard days ahead if I don't do any exercise soon. So....I suddenly woke with my internal clock at 515am and headed for the gym.  Out my door by 528am. 

1 mile on track-- 7:57.  Was really thinking maybe these will be my last miles since my ankle feels no better. 

Cybex trainer varying heights and mostly 30 to 45 percent.  137 pace.  224 calories burned in 15 minutes.  That is A LOT!!!!

Then spin class.  At 20 minutes I was thinking I wasn't going to make it through...my legs got so fatigued.  She was making us do intense hill climbs and at one point I had to really push myself wanting to quit the whole class.  When I got to 30 minutes I was telling myself....YOU can do the 60 minutes, don't panic.  I was a sweating machine.  While I was on the cybex another spinner took my favorite spot in front of the fan so I didn't even feel the fan at all.  Much more intense this way.  There wasn't a dry spot on me, no joke.  So many hills!!

Cybex trainer 15 minutes.  Slower but pretty much the same routine as above.  218 calories burned. 

1 mile in 7:07.  Was going to leave cause ankle was not too happy and then I stretched just before stepping outside and decided to just go do it or I would be disappointed in myself (and I had thought this might be my last mile EVER!! NOOOOO!!!!!).  Felt good (besides ankle of course). 

Home in ICE STORM.  Drove Brooke and Amber to school.  Nearly slid off road.  Came home and lifted weights for upper body x 22 minutes then did abs for 6.5 minutes.  Went to chiropracter at 1030am appt.  Talus bone completely out and tendon swollen three times the size of my left foot.  He put it back in place and did ultrasound and laser tx to it as well as align my poorly aligned back/hips, heat, massage and electrical stimulator used. Also the board that stretches your lumbar vertebrae.  Hope this works.  Iced at home.  55 push ups with ball.

Up at 510am (darn that internal clock).  Didn't fight it long. Got up.  To rec center.  Still icy roads. 

1 mile track (6.5 laps).  7:59.  Easy warm up testing ankle. Better than yesterday but certainly not totally healed yet.  But YESTERDAY I was walking normal and pain free in the afternoon!!!!  Amazing!! Who knew a whack of a soccer ball could dislocate your ankle bone??  (talus).  And the dislocation (which hurt right after impact) over five weeks ago lead to overuse of tendons and muscles to try and correct myself.  Geez.  I already visibly notice decrease in swelling of my heel bone (after laser and ultrasound and relocation yesterday).  NO push tenderness.  Time will tell.  The pain usually gets worse as the day goes on but I am hopeful after yesterday :D. 

20 minutes on the HARD elliptical machine but I didn't overdo it but still got up a good sweat.  268 calories. 

60 minutes SPIN Class.  She really worked it.  Different instructor so different muscles used today.  We did one legged spinnning for four minutes each leg.  Love that work out.  It seems to balance out the muscles when you focus on one leg doing the work.  Sat in front of fan today.  Needed a break for water but I am hardcore so I didn't.  Forgot water bottle.  Realized after two spin classes without the first week that water bottles are a must!!  Way parched but didn't give up and stayed strong. 

10 minutes Cybex trainer.  The usual-- increase incline every two minutes to max byt the 8-10 minute.  Calories?? forgot to look or can't remember but over 130. 

Brief stretching moment.  THEN 1 mile  on the track again in 6:59.   Legs lead-like so I thought this mile would be slow but after looking at my first lap pace I knew I was doing pretty good on fatigued legs so  I kept it up.  No weights today (that was yesterday and I did 55 pushups 15/15/15/10-- with a ball at my shins/ankles)   Just letting myself take a vacation day.  No overdoing it which I have a tendency to do. Ya think??!!

worked all day in admit nsy. Busy shift. home late--715pm.  drove to pg rec with courtney. ran 4 miles on track. no plan. just started running. first mile painful phusically and mentally. usual cas after 13 hour shift. wondered if i have ever run before.  first mile 8:57. then, surprise 8:01, followed by 7:41 then 7:27. ap 8:02. upper bpdy weights with courtney. abs at home. awake now. whole wheat waffles at home before watching "sole surfer" with amber and brooke til 1130pm.  work on am

.

lent my shoes to a coworker who showed up to work in boots (she works night shift) so I went over to AFH first to give her her boots and to get my shoes for work later this week.  They are my altras that I wear to work.  This made it so  I arrived at the rec center 10 minutes later (5:40) and no cybex or elliptical to be found free.  So I ran a mile (7:58) and quickly took a very needed potty break (that was locked too when I got there) then still no cybex trainer or ellipticals so I ran another mile before spin class (6:49).  Spin class 62 minutes spinning.  NO workout after.  Giving myself a break as I am being chastised at work for overdoing it.  Blah blah.  But you all understand right?  Okay so I went home and got kids off to school while fitting in Upper Body weight training.  Ate breakfast then finished with 90/45/45 planks x 1, 10 pushups and abs for 10 minutes.  My muscles are bulging.  Not sure if this is a good thing.  Really getting bummed about my ankle. The "tendon" is bulging again and my ankle seems not to be getting too much better.  I figure I am going to have to ignore it but it really is quite the THORN in my TRAINING's side.  Doesn't hurt in spin class and didn't hurt in the second mile....going fasterrr.....hmmm???? 

no track miles since it maybe contributing more to the heel pain from the constant circuling.  Just felt like trying the treadmill and see if that would be less painful.  Not in the first two miles but I continued for the endorphin affect and my legs were a little tight from all my working out yesterday.  I figured I would run 4 miles and then go to spin but I just didn't feel like spin today. Spin is hard.  I started at 8:13 pace and by two miles I was at 8:02 average.  I mostly kept my pace at 7:41 to 7:47 occasionally going back to 8:00 pace.  In the middle I did 1/2 mile at 6:31 but that aggravated my heel more so I went back to 8:00 pace for a lap (1/4 mile).  Later I got bored so I did some easy strides for 200 meters @ 6:18 pace, last one at 6:11 to 6:00 x 5 with equal recovery @ 7:30 pace.  Finished at 59:52 for 8 miles so 7:29 average pace.  Cooled down on the cybex trainer (finally available) for 20 minutes...only the longer I was on the tougher it got as I like to take the incline up to 20 (the steepest by the end).  flip that thing works my legs.  I needed an easy bike ride and a spin class was just starting so I half-heartedly joined the three person spin class and left at 15 minutes for home.  Marathon shopping -- 3 hours at Walmart, double couponing/price matching and forgot to take a snack.  Got hungry looking at all the food so took a berry drink (all natural) out of their cooler for $1.25.  Ate too healthy today.  Really wish my ankle would show me any signs of improvement.  Luckily the second time I called the podiatrist office the secretary got me in for an appointment tomorrow.  There is a bony prominence in my  calcaneous-- I think it is a large heel spur....chronic plantar fascitis can cause it....man my heel is NOT happy.  I am sure he will xray it and if it isn't broken I am going for several steroid shots.  It worked last year in November 2011-- same foot but it didn't hurt near as bad as it does now-- now my entire heel is angry.    Nothing else is bothering me.  I feel strong and ready to perform but I just can't do it with pain....it makes running not so fun.  blah. 

slept in. yup, just let the clock roll by 515am....but not without looking at it. Woke two times before finally getting out of bed at 720am. The last 20 minutes I just lied there thinking....didn't feel like working out but I work the next two days so I best be getting myself to the rec center. Drove the carpool to the elementary and junior high...BUSY. The kids in my car were complaining cause I dropped Amber and Brooke off in FRONT of the school instead of by the crosswalk. Too snowy to do the usual drop off and Brooke had her Science Fair Project in hand. I did some Indiana Jones moves and made it from the Elementary school to the Junior High in 6 minutes. My running comes in handy...I know all the routes. They weren't complaining when they saw how many cars we did make it in front of through my fast action driving skills and backstreet knowledge. The car lines were atrocious outside the school. Still made it to the rec center by 8:15.   Snow packed shoes I just stared into space for a few minutes.  Legs a little tight.   I did some squats on Monday (about 40 in a row) and now that effort was showing forth in delayed muscle soreness.  Decided to run a few laps....WELL a few laps turned into 31.5.  Basically five miles-- nice and easy...progression not on purpose but how it naturally played out...8:44, 8:06, 7:46, 7:43, 7:23.    That's 7:56 pace for 5 miles (39:44).  Thought spin was a 9am but turns out she does a core workout prior to spin...the class is at 930.  So I toughed it out and did this core class. OOOOOooooo baby....man alive is my core struggling.  Gettting there but really need some help for sure engaging several of my abdominals.  They refuse to work...I really think they enjoy just taking over the roll as FOOD cage keeper (intestines).  Survived and then died in Spin class.   I was so out of there at 20 minutes but hung on in this endurance spin class til the bitter end.  I didn't push it as hard as I usually do (some reason my ankle was hurting with the standing).  I really needed a rest too so I took it easier in spin.  Not sure if that is possible.  I still was dripping large sweat droplets.  Drove ever so slowly home and ate and showered.  Can't wait to get a diagnosis today.  He better have one!!!  Arghhhh!!!!!

Worked all day on pediatrics at Utah Valley.  No work out.  Got steroid shot on Wednesday after dr. xrayed my foot.  Not broken.  : D. But dr. felt it would be better for me if it were then he could get me to stop working out on it.  Tarsal Tunnel-- nerve entrapment in the ankle. (carpal tunnel).  Can't tell if it fully worked yet.  Walking a little more normal.  But pain definitely still there.

Ooops.  This was unplanned.  Just felt like doing this work out again.  Was going to go to spin but not in mood. 

2 mile WU at 8:10 AP (started at 8:27).  1% incline

Water, stretch briefly.

1/2 mile WU 8:06 AP.  1 %.

Right into:

1 min 6:00 pace, 1 min 8:00 pace (0 percent)

2 min 6:15 pace, 2 min 8:00 pace

3:15min 6:31 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

4:30 min 6:40 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

6 min 6:49 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

6 min 6:49 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

4:30 min 6:40 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

3:15 min 6:31 pace, 2:15 min 8:00 pace

2 min 6:15 pace, 1:30 min 8:00 pace

1:15 @ 5:46 to 6:00,  3min @ 7:53 to 8:00 pace, 1 % incline.  (60:15 for 8.5 miles = 7:05AP, not including 2 mile warm up).  Besides forcing ankle into submission this all felt easy.  Not a moment where I didn't think I could not finish this.  6 minute intervals were the easiest :D.    Really like this workout.  Last time I ran this was about three weeks ago.  That time I needed the longer break I was giving myself.  This time 2:30 minutes on every interval but the shorter ones was perfect.  I didn't feel tired starting next interval, like last time.  Must be all the spinning :D.

Okay so I worked all day yesterday and got some advice on my ankle....cause it wasn't really changing...ICE bath, HOT water BATH.  Repeat several times.  I did just that last night and miraculously could walk normally on my heal.  But I awoke to the TIGHTEST HIPS AND THIGHS I have ever had.  SO bad that I thought I should cancel on Rachelle.  But I have been through worse so I thought  I would tough it out and make her run slower.  Her plan was to run the last four fast.  My plan:  survival.  First outdoor run since the New Year's Half with Rachel-- and that cold was IMPRINTED largely in my brain.  It was 5 degrees when we left but sure beat the negative 6 degrees of the New Year's Half.  The sun came up about an hour into our run and it was Heavenly.  I didn't have my watch in VIEW mode so my plan was to see where we were at when we got to the eternal WATER fountain in Alpine.  We got there at 8:12 AP for 9.2 miles.  I honestly thought I was at a 8:30 to 8:45 pace.  So that's good.  My legs were like a dead man's.  NO joke.  I have never even felt that tight in a marathon.  It was a bad dream--- no ankle pain but this intense tightness in my legs!!!!!  I could barely turn my legs over and Rachelle  I am quite certain was tired of hearing my whining about them.  We ran into Mel, Melody, Kim and Julie coming downhill around mile 4 of our run.  We didn't stop.  They were hopping.  We were going up at a leisurely pace.  At the water fountain we ran into several runners from the Blog-- Walter, Scott, and several others.  We left there and headed to mile 10 where Rachelle was to start her four miles fast. I, on the other hand, was not in that mode and decided that I should be wise for once with my body.  When Rachelle took off I got worried that she would get lost as she had expressed this concern...so I hung back and followed at a pace close enough to verbally tell her which direction to go.  I didn't start my watch/lap button and I don't have my garmin tell me my splits anymore (haven't worn my garmin in over three weeks) but after the first mile I was about 20 seconds behind her.  When she got to where I knew mile four of the fast was she kept going....I thought she was going to stop so I slowed there and hung a left and Rachelle was nowhere to be found.  I turned the next right to look down the last hill to my house and there Rachelle was speedily heading towards my house.  I was trying to yell her to slow and wait but she was in a zone.  I decided she must have added on a last tempo mile.  Which ended up exactly what she was doing.  I was back to my nice 8:12 pace.  When I started the tempo my AP was 8:13 for 10 miles. When I finished my tempo my pace was 7:50.   So this puts my four miles at about 6:45 to 6:54 pace. Not bad for running with MUMMY legs and not pushing myself.  Jogged back to my house with Rachelle the last 0.3 miles.  Rachelle had a Raynaud's attack and dizzy spell from her lightning speed  :D.  All is well. Orange juice is a miracle food :D.  Hmmmm....15.2 miles after 3 weeks off of much running at all, except for yesterday's speed work of 10.5 miles.  How quickly I forget :D.  Lips and tongue are going through a weird experience....tingling and burning especially after long workouts. Melanie suggested it might be a iron, vitamin B, zinc or low thyroid issue.  I don't take zinc so I am going to get that and see....and for once and for all stop with  all the chocolate. I only lasted three days!!!  STARTING again, MARK MY WORDS!!

6am run before first day skiing with family this season.  too cold in January.  Okay...TM random run.  needed to take it easy so had to vary something so as to not go fast out of boredom.  Lots of random tightness areas all over in legs.  very ridiculous.  did some hillwork, easy hillwork.  1 to 4 percent.  In this fashion...1, 3, 4, 2 and repeat at 1/2 mile intervals.  Ended up climbing 800 feet in 6.5 miles.  The first 2 miles I forgot to check and got off tm to reset it so I wouldn't try to get 8 miles in 60 minutes in or something crazy.  If I reset the tm I can go slower. ap 7:55 for 8.52 miles.  first mile 8:27.  froze to death at sundance.  could never warm up. family toasty.  it hit me to the core.  i got home shivering and even after a hot shower.  i called into work. felt immense fatigue. slept from 8pm til 615am.  that felt good. 

random very tight right hamstring.  i m falling apart. got to rec ctr to run 8 easy. first mile 8:27...2% avg (1 and 2).....second mile 810ap.  i was at 4% for 1/2 of this mile.  then got notion to break 60 minutes for 8 miles...crap ran slow the first two miles.  so went right to 7:30 pace @ 1.5%. eventually hitting random paces at mile five from 7:19 to 7:24.   flip...not gonna make the cut off..so with two mile to go i ran a 7:03 then 6:50. made it. 700 feet elevation gain , 7:30 avg pace, 8 miles, 1.5 percent for all but one mile at 3 to 4 percent. finished with upper body weights. feeling weak from yesterday of 7 hours of skiing.  chills turned to bout of gi dostress. thankfully rachelle told me about ihop and i stocked up on some carbs.

worked all day.  most likely walked 20 miles.  seriously busy.  patients upstairs and down.  ate a krispy kreme chocolate frosted donut for a late breakfast out of time constraints.  student nurses brought them : D.  legs dead by end of shift. 

tried to meet up with kim for bday run.  she was supposed to look out for me in case I decided to come.  somehow i missed her.  i was FROZEN!!!  my phone said 24 degrees so I thought for sure I was losing it.  then realized phone hadn't updated temp from last night (found that out two hours later).  IT WAS NINE degrees and 100 percent humidity.  FLIP.  It was core piercing.  since kim wasn't around I slowly trudged over to the rec center to do my 6mm on the indoor track as stiff muscles not conducive to running fast in this ol' body.  44 YEARS OLD today!! YIKES.  got there and thawed out putting hot water on my arms.  I only had a single long sleeve thin layer on and my pink pacer short sleeve.  BRRRRrrrr!!  Tried warming up STIFFLY on the track.  After 5.2 miles (just course tooled it, didn't wear my garmin), outside the track felt "squishy".  No wonder my bones are getting soft.  ran a mile warm up in 8:20. told a few gals I was running a 6mm and I was off in lane 3.  well come to find out lane three is inaccurate for distance so when I thought I ran way off I was actually one second over :D.  Glad I figured that discrepancy out.  6:01.   lots of swerving in 6.5 laps, same people in same lanes at different points along my route.  not easy.  too many turns--26 to be exact.  My throat was burning and I actually almost cried from the pain.  I had to have Troy come get me at 7am before he could get the kids up.  My birthday consisted of several FB greetings and a few phone calls : D.  Lunch at Costa Vida, chocolate chip pumpkin cookies from my neighbor (yum, I ate six!!), a soccer game (troy went to the other one), got lost in Riverton/Jordan for 20 minutes.  Made it in time as Rugby still was going on under the "bubble" field and they locked the soccer teams out-- too dangerous in there!!  so getting lost was no big deal as everyone was squished in one small but very nice waiting area.  Both teams.  Then it was Panda Express for starving children (didn't get to choose out of "I'm too hungry mode" of my kids).  But COLD STONE was awesome. We as a family had been off ice cream for FOUR weeks.  YUM, double YUM!!  Watched  Disney's CARS in bed before drifting off to sleep.  Oh yah 44:31 for the 5.2 miles of near death freezation!!

new mizunos from my birthday.  precisions.  sweet pink :D.  tried them out with rachelle in Orem from Maceys into Provo Canyon.  4 miles out and back.  30 mile per hour wind gust out of canyon (our predicition).  We jogged nice and easy.  AP up 8:10.  AP back 7:24.  overall= 7:47 for 8.05 miles.  Thanks Rachelle, YOU cutie!! :DDDDDDD         4pm.....with courtney  :)  at rec ctr.  ran 4 on track.. 7:58 ap with first mile at 9:15  paced courtney in fortb lane when she ran third lane. an old guy was very impressed and tried to pace off me. He told me that i was the fastest runner he has seen on this track for as long as i was going. i had fun helping him pit. upper body weights, brief abs and wall sits with acute couple asking me about running caise they saw me on the track. it all felt easy and was so it was funny that they thought i was fast. movies with my girls...life of pi.

mizunos. lovin them. ice and crunch layer of snow. no speed today. jist an easy run at 5am before work. first mile 10!!!!!!!  ap 9:10. did not want to biff and since i havent run outside much this winter i didnt feel confident. just a couple near misses. no falls.

Long work-filled weekend.  Babies.  Gotta love em!! :D.  Worked in admit nursery yesterday. Sweet times :D.  Okay,  not sleeping well after five hours. Wake suddenly at 3 am.  Twittle thumbs.  Then finally get tired by the time it is time for me to go work out go figure.  For some reason (must be all the chinese food my mother in law made for our Chinese New Year Party) I had a continuous flight to the potty this morning,  FOUR timeS!  Tmi but just sayin'.  I then began to feel achy.  And blah. CRAP.  cause I went to bed thinking of doing a tempo run on the TM since I am the 1:30 pacer for the Moab 1/2 marathon.  I am such an over achiever.  If there is a flag in my hands I HAVE TO DO IT!! D: 

Warmed up:  2.5 miles...started at 8:27 pace. Ended with 1/2 mile at 8:00.  1%.  Kept running no stopping the TM after warmup today. I stretched just before starting, briefly.

1/2 mile at 6:53.....hmmmm maybe I should just keep it here...so nice and easy why push it????

Just do it already.  So.. next miles were:  6:44, 6:40, 6:35, 6:31 (wanted to try and go to 6:27 but breathing getting erratic....dehydration...no water but a few sips after getting up.  I never prepare for these tm runs, I had a large amount of dried on salt saliva on the roof of my mouth. totally parched).   Is this enough then??? I felt wimpy but to complete the 5.5 miles I wanted I put the pace back to 6:53 for 1/2 mile.....ahhhhh that's more like it...then 1/4 mile at 6:49, 1/4 at 6:18 to 6:44.  AP 6:37 for 5.5 miles based off time it took to run it-- 36:22.  STOPPED TM and got a drink....now that's more like it.  I think next tempo I will bring along some water.  Maybe even a gu.  I will be doing 7 next time.  YIKES.   Then, 9, then 11.  Or maybe that is too much??????  Once a week though since I am an old lady.  At 11 I would probably do....6:49x 3 , 6:44 x 3, 6:40 x 3, 6:35 x 2.  Ick.     Oh yah,ran a 2 mile cooldown in 16:25.  1 %.  Speedwork done at 0 percent.  Wimpy I know but it will have to do.  I could use a "cola".  Ha ha. 

Went NIGHT skiing with my family at Brighton last night.  95 dollars for five adults and a large pizza.   Family fun night--- except we nearly froze to death...more me than anyone else.  TO THE CORE....after five runs it was two hours and 6pm.  We went in for pizza and thaw out and  I never could.  The kids all went back out and Amber came back in after one more run with frozen fingers--- her gloves were wet when she went out and they immediately iced over outside (it was NEGATIVE 4 degrees when we left by our car temp, and the resort said they would close the mountain at zero...but they never did!!!).  Sitting in the lodge was barely tolerable...I had to put my hands under the warm water sink and push the heat on the hand dryer several times to feel a bit more comfortable.  Well....the bad news is....Troy tried to keep up with my 12 year old daughter and crashed, catching his ski on a rut...twisted it really good and has been moaning and groaning but still saying "I'm fine" since it happened. It is obviously swollen in two places.  He hurt himself two years ago. He is new at skiing...only had gone twice before I met him and we didn't ever go until our oldest was 7 years old.  I on the other hand have been a skier since I was little and this is the first time I have gotten this cold in a long time (apart from last week at sundance during the day, I was gettting sick).  So I did what any normal insane runner would do....I WENT RUNNING IN 7 degrees temps this morning!! YUP at 6:30am I was out there.  I had slept in to 615am and didn't have time for a rec trip to run the tm cause of a Neonatal Rescusitation class for four hours starting at 9am.  So I headed outdoors with a very keen reminder of the bone chillin' night.  I wore LOTS of EXTRA clothing.   Ran 8 miles at 8:09.  First mile 9:02.  Just ran recovery since yesterday's tempo.  But at four miles I did 0.1 miles at tempo pace (6:35 to 6:40) then 0.4 miles easy, repeated 8 times til I got to 8 miles.  Felt very easy but I was getting cold.  In fact I still feel cold!!!! 

Met with Carina and Tara in Lehi.  Ran a nice loop. I was well dressed this time.  So tired of freezing to death...so can't say I was ever cold.   I was stiff however from my frozen body on Monday night skiing.  ANKLE is giving so much crap....IF was pain free I would be on FIRE right now.   Why oh WHY????  It is not like I have a lot of time right now.  HELLO THREE MONTHS and then three WEEKS later---TWO MARATHONS!!!  8.21 miles at 7:42 AP.  First mile 8:32.  I love a slow start.  We eased into a steady pace for the end.    Last mile 7:11.  All the rest 7:36 to 7:51.    We were done by 6:52am.  I got there at 5:48am.  No stops.  The way I like an 8 miler.  Thanks women!!   430 pm- 4  @ 8:49 ap.  so slow i was in a coma...but pain in heel really biting!!!!!!! upper weights .

Work.  busy day at work sometimes counts as a workout. no time at work for even a valentine treat.   decorated three sugar cookies after work with my kids.  Ate them all. yum . sugar intoxication.

early am run before work...flip i thought it would be warm!!! freeze out.  well my thighs and right foot----numb!  thoight it would be a dreadful pace but came out pretty decent. first mile 8:11. last mile 7:08. ap 7:33 for 6.21 miles. at work now. not as bad as yesterday. 

1 mile wu really slow....9:00 pace to meet kim,jane, melody,chandi, julieE, and kassi. i stayed back with jane and chandi.   not time for fast long runs yet.  only going 14 to get 50 for the week.  been a while since i got that mileage.  keeping it here for the next week.  ankle keeps geting pulsating pain signals....so definitely a nerve entrappe. pain under control for todays run shockingly.  i was probably too cold in my feet to notice. they were quite numb the first mile.  so my ap for first 7 miles was just under 8.  we ran to eternal fountain the short way.  but uphill way. ran unintentionally at first...neither jane or i talked about it .....a little tempo run...5 miles @ 6:41. didnt feel forced so thats good. hard part was when jane and chandi put on their music the last three miles together.....so i picked it up and ran ahead. total ap 7:26 for 14.  tempo 6:46,6:40,6:35, 6:40 (uphill), 6:42 (tight quad so slowed down..... think my muscles cooled off too much from the stop at kims to say goodbye to the gals. personally i think it is harder to go faster after stopping longer than three minutes. sorry on phone. lots of typos. no spell check on frb.

Grandiose Speedwork thoughts on Saturday night and they still were in my head on Sunday, Why oh Why???? actually I thought this will be easy. HUH.  Well....it turns out TM errors may have a role.  I think the TM I used must have been off on pace and was actually faster...tell you why in a second.  Okay here is what I ran according to my plan.

2 mile warm up in 8:16 AP.  2 percent incline.  211 feet gain :D.  I figured if I had a nice incline then going to 1 % for the SW would feel "flat".  Hee Hee.

THEN-- off to potty and drink and stretch briefly.

Another 1/2 mile at 2 percent incline 8:27 pace.  Right into speedwork.  My own made up one again. 

1 min on at 6:00 pace (10mph), 1 min off at 8:20 pace (7.2 mph),   followed by 2 minutes on at 6:15 pace (9.6mph), 2 minutes off at 8:20 pace.   REPEAT x 10.  THAT's 30 minutes of an average of 6:10 pace!!  (6 minute cycle x 10 = 60 minutes).    All at 1% except last two-- 9th one at 0.5 percent and last one at 0 percent.  Treadmill goes to cooldown mode at 60 minutes for two minutes but you can still over ride it so I did but geared up for it by upping the last 2 minute repeat to 10 mph and made up for the time loss as the tm tries to slow to a 3 mph, ha !!! ha!!!.  So at 8.8 miles my TM shut off at 62 minutes--- 7:03 pace.  433 feet elevation gain :D. 

So here's the math problem if I ran a 1/2 mile warmup and half of the miles were at 6:10 pace (6 for 1 min, 6:15 for 2min= 6:10 average).....and the other half was at 8:20....hmmmmm my average pace should have been 7:15 not 7:03.  I know I am not a cheater so maybe that is why I actually ran faster longer....I start upping the pace to where it needs to be 5 seconds before the mark and keep it there for exactly the time (1 or 2 min) when the tm hits that pace.  Perhaps that is why??  Not sure... but that is a bit off.  I shouldn't complain....I ran further faster, two good things right???   My intent was to run 10 miles if that but didn't know what mileage I would have at the end after the warmup.  I was at 10.8 (8.8 sw plus 2 mile wu).   I ran a 1.2 mile cool down at 8:27, 1 percent incline.    Woo hoo.  Ankle coming back from dead so of course I had to wake it up!!    Sorry about all the details but I am very much into math.  And soon I will be too old to figure myself out so I need all the information for something, but don't know what :D.

Work. so busy. didnt sit much in 13 hours.

so tired as i awoke two minutes before alarm...but ran anyway since i skipped yesterday.  could not wake up. 6miles 7:56ap.  8:29 first mile.   work so busy avain so tired wbich makes it worse.

MS attack, as I call it.  INTENSE MASSIVE fatigue...not just regular "I am tired" but INTENSE, like hard to lift a limb or even an eyeball.  Followed by joint and shooting nerve pains and numbness...mainly on the left side.  Some memory problems too.  I am thinking food allergies a big contributor-- mainly ASPARTAME and sugary foods.  I had a crystal light (half of one) cause I was tired of plain water and I have been testing myself with it VERY occasionallly (aspartame that is) and have noticed the INTENSE fatigue come on after a period of excitability andinability to focus.  Very odd. I must not break it down in my body and it is like quadruple a dosing.  I could barely move all night and this morning I was walking like a zombie to the rec center.  I went later than usual due to the fatigue.  Got there just past 8am and decided to run a few on the track...well that turned into 9 on the track (6.5 laps x 9).  I started out and most of my tingling and numbness has been on my left side and my LEFT leg was LITERALLY giving "way" as I tried to run.  Like I didn't have the neuromuscular synapse to hold my muscle in a running form.  It happened for a lap and a half so I barely put weight on my left leg til it went away (if it didn't I would have to stop).  Luckily it passed but now my right arm is tingly all the way to my fingers and it is hard to move my hand to type.  I have been thru lots of boughts of this stuff so if it bores you I am sorry.  I am writing it down as a sort of journal to my physical self.  Someday I will have all the answers and I need my symptoms written down.  What if one day I just suddenly can't move at all???  YIKES.  Well I got into a groove at about three miles so I just kept going.  At 8 miles I did one quick lap followed by two rest laps followed by one more quick lap.  Total AP for 9 miles = 7:33 pace. ( used clock on track, no watch, had to keep track of laps not easy, I had some memory lapses so then I would focus on one mile timed so I could see if I was where I thought I was if that makes sense).  Did upper body weights and arms were like jello. It was hard to do what I have usually been doing.  My muscles all began to twitch a lot.  Another symptom I have been having is a burning lip and tongue sensation.  Hmmmm????  Melanie says either, low iron, low thyroid of low vitamin Bs.  I think I got a combo deal as I was actually low on all three with my last check last April.  Lawdy daw.  BLAH!!  

wide awake at 4am...so made kids lunches. back in bed and got tired. no sleep though. met rachelle at maceys....we heavy-legged ran up the canyon 4.5 miles then back-- 7:49 ap for 9.  it was snowing the entire run. we were both tired. me especially. i got back and was so tired i crawled into bed for almost three hours after taking kids to school. i was also very achy in the joints. my plan was 15 today with four fast but that juat was not happening. i did gain some energy and managed 8 on the tm at the rec. 1% 8 pace for 2 miles....1/2 mile slightly faster then tested my muscles for the tempo...nearly bailed...653 pace for 1/4 mile was not good so back to 8 pace for a 1/4 mile....tried again...1/2 mile at 6:49 pace...1/4@8:00, 1 mile @ 6:44 (well 1/4 at 6:40 in this mile, so 6:43)..1/4@8,...1.25@6:40 and last 1/4 to 7 miles at 6:18 to 6:35 pace. 8 mm cooldown to 8 miles. 7:27 ap for 8.    7:38 ap for the 17 altogether.

TRUE recovery run at 450 am before work-- acutally stayed within the prescribed pace for recovery for me (8:32 to 9:13).  First mile 9:08.  AP 8:38 for 6 miles.  cold wind.  was underdressed.  stupid phone weather!!   liked going slow. 

so tired so slept in.  rec center at 810am. easy day. sw tmr i suppose.  9 miles around track...after first half mile...no watch but digital clock at track....was feelling really good, except pf in right ankle for two miles.  every lap was consistently taking 1:09 to 1:10.  6.5 laps (a little less but tthis track has issues,lane 2 is also 6.5 laps. i ran in lane 3) equals a mile. so that with weaving to the forth lane numerous times is a 7:30 to 7:35 pace. last three picked it up cause i was feeling good. AP for 9 miles 7:26, probably faster. took 66:49 as far as time goes. ran 1 1/2 laps nice and slow...with some kick  backs. finished with planks and myrtle routine. :)     PM-- 430pm at the rec center with Courtney.  1 mile on track with Courtney-- 9:40.  2 miles soon after with an old guy I met on the track last time Courtney and I ran together.  AP for those two miles 8:15.  27:54 for 3.23 miles (8:44).  Foot was very angry just walking so doing more laps was at first not a happy thing but the rest of me quite enjoyed it.  I just envision chopping off my foot at the ankle and this seems to get me through a run.  Courtney and I then did weights (Courtney used aerobic machines for 20 min on her own) and abs.  : D. 

2 wu 8:27 1% incline. right into mile repeats in pace zone. 6:22, 6:22, 6:20(1\2 @6:22,1/2@6:18),6:18 ....last 1/8 mile at 6:11 to6:15.  800 recovery at 8:27 pace 1% incline.  sw done at 0.5 % incline.  800 recovery is perfect for me.  no struggling in this workout.  all controlled.  :)  feeling strong. wish my ankle would heal already. lots of tlc after workouts. 

550am at the rec.  9 miles easy...progressive miles on tm, 820, 8:13,806,800,753,747,741,735,730. each mile at 1% for half of the mile then 1/2 mile at 2%.  at end of each mile bumped it up to 3% for last .05 to .1.  this way when i  increased the speed by 0.1mph it would feel easier cause then i would decrease incline to 1% :).  for some reason i sweated a lot today.  pm--3.4 miles. 2 on track with courtney. 9:28, 9:05. 1.4 on tm, 813 ap. started at 9 pace. felt good for all tbis except plantar fascia of right heel. upper body wts, wall sits :),jumls, and abs with courtney. was super tired driving to rec but snapped out of it once i got started. courtney helps. :-)

440 am before work. was going to skip today but i was well rested and alert at 430am.  went out to dinner with courtney and troy last night. first time to texas roadhouse for all of us. yum.  sirloin steak with sweet potato. and the rolls with cinnamon butter double yum.  it was courtneys half birthday month. ot os our new tradition..celebrating by going out to dinner alone with each of our children. we deserved it too after our pm workout yesterday, courtney and i.  this am was a reecovery run...garmin in hide mode.  did not know pace but came out to what i felt. 8:38ap. first me 9:16.  all felt very easy. it was freezing. my jaw and thighs were numb.  came home and troy was up...hospital called and i was being pulled to orem...so had to be late. they were sorry. all part of being a float nurse. 

day off  :)  but working all day of course.

Met Josse at Riverwoods (Desi).  Ran up canyon to just before Bridal Veil five miles-- we ran on highway for about 0.5 mile steep uphill at the end.  Nice headwind on Highway, not felt near as bad on trail.  Josse was loving the uphill, desi and I not so much.  Turned around and the concrete was aggravating my heel pain.  I first thought I would have to stop and just cry in frustration but I waited to even ground and then just decided to get my tempo in starting at mile 6 which took us from just passed Nun's park (i think that is the name of it) to the Riverwoods, almost to the light there at the corner.  Felt good during those and honestly thought I was running slower so that was nice to see the improvement there-- 6:33, 6:29, 6:28, 6:31.  Hard part was wanting to  run four more miles.  My heel was mad after stopping briefly and then running back up to the others.  We then ran some other girls home, a nice uphill which only meant my heel would hurt more coming back.  OUCH.  I tried to run on my right toes.  Everything else felt great.  Really bummed about this pain.  Oh I was a little numb in my hands and lower arms.  My stomach was bright red when I got home.  AP 7:33 for 14 miles. 

SW today.  Plan 18 x 1 min on/offs at 10 to 10.3 mph.   HOWEVER I changed it to 15 after my warmup changed into HILL work due to my awesome neighbor Melissa.  I am usually at the rec before her, leaving as she is coming.  Well I was coming as she still had about 20 minutes to go.  I slept in.  A special treat I give myself once in a while. Sleeping in is 645am.  I had to get the kids off to school and got to the rec by 8am.  Well, HOLY SMOKE Melissa was doing some awesome workout and when I went up to her she was doing 7mph at 7% grade.   Hello....I never do 7 percent grade.  But after Saturday I knew I needed to add in the hills again.  So after a mile warmup (2% and 7.1 mph, 8:27 pace)I did  one min on/offs at 7 % incline and 7.3 mph (8:13)pm x 6.   Offs were at 2 %.    Gee whiz I was already tired for my sw.  Got off tm and pottied and got back on within a minute.  Ran two minutes easy and started the on/offs.  

9 x 1 min @ 6 min (10mph) 1 percent incline x 1 , 0.5 percent for 8)    Offs at 7.1 mph (8:27) and 1 percent incline.

2 x 1 min @ 5:56 (10.1), 0 percent incline.  Offs pat 7.1 mph, 0.5 percent incline.  I got off the tm for a water break after 10 of the repeats.  That helped me recover better to move on to the last five.

2 x 1 min @ 5:52 (10.2mph), 0 percent incline.  Offs at 7.1 mph, 0.5 percent incline. 

2 x 1 min @ 5:49 (10.3mph), 0 percent incline. Offs at 7.1 mph, 0.5 percent incline.  

1.5 miles cool down,  mostly 8 average pace, started at 7.1 mph.   1 percent incline. 

OKAY this was not easy-- I was weak.  Always am the day after Fast Sunday-- fasting two meals and not making up for it with one meal.  So lots of calories lost not eating two meals then getting up and only drinking 1/2 glass of orange juice before the workout.   Average pace for 6 miles 7:10.  First three miles ap was 8:18 (the hillwork miles and warmup miles).

five brrr cold miles at 445 am  before work at UV nicu at 6.  easy pace 820. stiff legs didnt make it seem easy though. numb and stiff. blah run. 

easy early 440 am run.  warmer. 6 miles. 7:59ap.  11strides of 0.1 miles on/off. ap 6:04. tells u how slow other miles were but strides woke me up. worked all day at af level 2 nsy.

pm...1.2 miles w/ courtney to her soccer practice at 550 pm. 9:39 ap. so nice. Morning 530am: Met Kim (and Jane, and two other girls, forgot their names, oh yah one was Delightra) running to her house uphill...8:11 pace for warmup 1.14 miles.  Worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with Kim but it turned out quite well (minus the fact that I can't see well in the dark and landed in a nice puddle in the first mile and we a had several other dark tunnels to traverse).  I was even able to talk the whole time and it was just us.  The others were slower (Jane pregnant and all).  We actually never saw them again until we got back. They did 9, we did 10.  Five out and back into the hills of Cedar and Highland.  AP 7:21 for 11 miles (one back to my house included there). We stopped quite briefly and got water/gatorade at four miles and turns out that wasn't where Jane put the water....this time...hmmm???  we are thinking it was Jane's stash from another run.  The gatorade was unopened when we got to it.  PHEW!!   Then Kim had to potty at mile 5, hee hee.  I like going with this group as I don't ever take water or stash it.    We talked for five or more minutes at Kim's then I ran home one more mile.  splits for fun--8:11 the nice hill!!, 7:52 a longer hill, 7:11, 7:27 (hill), 7:05, 7:10, 7:10, 7:18, 7:04, 7:13, 7:07 okay all the miles were hilly. We ran a consistent effort throughout. Since this was an out and back you can pretty much tell how the hills help/hinder pace.  The steeper downhill we didn't push much as my stupid heel doesn't like the slants with pounding.  So this was a good workout. We didn't ever stop talking so that is a good sign. It was one of those medium tempo runs that you gotta throw in there once in a while to make your body remember paces.  We were loving the nicer air temp!!!  I was a little overdressed. 

wow cant believe i made it thru that depressing of a run. my cousin dropped by early this am for a visit. hadn't seen her in a while.  it seems our visits are further and further for no known reason...so when she comes it is one heck of a time.  bcause of her visit i left feeling more tired ....i slept 8 hours...and still wiped out?  i wanted to quit the first mile...but instead i just took it stride to stride.....so easy, no pushing....only saw mile laps..ahhh first mile 8:52.  thoght i was slower. i ran 8 miles rolling up....including 1.5 miles up af canyon.  i didnt stop once and no fuel on run. a couple sips of sour milk....ick.  threw that out ...before leaving. and a couple bites of a marathon bar that jane gave me for my birthday. i seriously wanted to lie down and just sit there but i did it. my heel is a angry thorn in all my running and today i did all i could to not aggravate it by running on the toes of my right foot and normal on left. felt so unnatural.  oh well. ap for 16 lonely miles 7:56.  nothing pushed cause i couldnt. all what i felt relaxed doing. really not a fun run though. need some estrogen and iron i think.   PM--520pm.  Rec center with Courtney and Amber.  Started with Courtney but finished with Amber.  AP 9:00.  10 mm with Courtney. 8 mm with Amber.  Upper body weights.  Ate a little too close to this workout so abs were very brief.  I could taste the squash soup.  Fine on run though. 

the wind and late night with cousin was a bad combo for an early am run before work. day off. 18 yesterday so not disappointed in mileage.    ALSO daylight savings tonight and last year was a disaster.  this year i am going to not push myself to a workout.  sleep more important with the time change.

okay...hmmm....so yesterday is supposed to have flown by with one less hour right? NOPE.  Not when you work all day.  You just MISS an hour of sleep.  So groggily showed up to work yesterday and had a nice day in the nursery.  Thank you babies for waiting to be born later in my shift :D.    So last year was a complete daylight savings disaster...pushed myself on no sleep at 430 and 530 am workouts which really were 330 and 430 am workouts and I couldn't sleep.  Last night I tossed and turned.  What the heck??   My clock is all confused.  But oh well...I had a plan....I didn't run Saturday so I could sleep an extra hour before work and I went to bed early Saturday (about 1030) and I didn't get up at 530 today to run.  But I was awake at 330am.  Wide awake. Finally fell asleep again.   So drove to rec with hubby at 815am (715am a few days ago).  This is a good time.  ahh it isn't too bright out yet so its sort of like an early morning run for me.  I decided to do SW today.  No plan until I woke up this morning....Hmmmmm what should I do?  I want to do the ladder work at the track but it is too cold outside and the track indoors at the rec is too short and just screams INJURY with all the turning I would have to do..so I opted for my old routine from last year....2 x 3 mile "tempo".  Like this:

1.5 mile warmup 7:47 to 8:27 pace, 1 %.

Right into the first set---1/2 mile at 6:40, 1/2mile at 6:35,  then 1 mile at 6:31, 1/2 mile at 6:27, 1/2 mile at 6:22.  

1/2 mile recovery at 8:00 pace.

Then right into next set--1/2 mile 6:35, 1/2 mile 6:31, 1 mile at 6:27, 1/2 mile at 6:27, 1/4 mile at 6:22, 1/4 mile at 6:18.   

1/2 mile recovery.   Then 1 x 800 at 6:11 pace for 1/4 lap and 6:03-6:07 for last lap.  

1 mile cooldown.  7:30 to 8:00 pace 1 %.  SW done at zero percent CAUSE I AM NOT  an OVERachiever these days.  OLD AGE ya know??!!   : D.  Felt pretty good until the fifth mile.  The sixth mile was easier because I knew I was almost done.  Funny how that it is SO mental for me sometimes. 

613am run...flip cant fall asleep due to time change and then i have to wake the same time but its darker.  in fact my run was so dark when i ventured a loop a way from my house i could not see the road in several parts. so i would run in the middle of the road...shouldnt be any obstacles on the roads...i tried some yoga breathing with my running today...no music..just mile splits. first mile 8:14. last mile 705. ap today 7:32 for 9 hilly miles. felt pretty good. could use a new ankle...if my ankle were better would be on fire right now with my running cause i havent got any soreness from the runs....tight lower legs in am but nowhere else. jist wish i could cut the piece of bone out of my foot and run painfree already. i complained about this ankle last year then it got better when my left foot flipped out. oh well i have adapted...and i am only giving myself one more year of super marathoning. next year it is only sg since i will be in the 10 year club. :). pm:   1.2 miles with courtney to her soccer practice. ahh outdoor soccer!!! 9:30ap....way to go courtney!! then long way home just taking it easy...shocked when finished the last 0.8 that my pace was 7:49. felt effortless and floating like. worked on breathing again and form. stupid heel. i am so ready. upper body weights on own and wall sits and one plank x 60secs. lovin thos weather. neighbors son drove out of driveway in garage with front door open distracted by texting. i was outside. very loud. bent door in half. i pretended i didnt see. i know his parents well. i didnt want to embarrass him more. sad times too...funeral today for tyler longoria. he hung himself last tbirsday. cute 14 year old boy with plenty of friends. a bit mixed up family i heard. dauvhter went to funeral. the program was enough t make you cry seeing his pictures. 

thx carina for inviting me to run this morning. brrrrrrr. they didnt call alpine "alpine" for nothing. it could not have been 32 degrees. i had red stripes on my abs to prove it. it took two hours to thaw out. i did wear really thin tights. ok....but company was great. i kept my watch in hide mode and no mile splits. noining the almost free running that carina is doing. i felt like i was running 830s so when we got back it was nice to see that easy effort with most likely a 9min or more first mile was 7:55 ap. we left at 554 am.  so like 454 am.  dst still sucking the life out of all us am runners. i got home got kids off...sorted laundry and took hot shower. got in bed for two hours. watchex a bit of secretariat. then turned it off and crashed. massive fatigue. surprised i made it thru the run. funny....as troy took the the kids to school he could not find the expedition keys....so carpool kids had to scrunch in the honda. on way back he remembered he put the ford keys on the back bumper of the honda when he got stuff out of the back of the ford...well i drove over to meet carina....in the honda...unknowingly woth our ford keys hanging on for dear life..til the first real stop sign...troy found them a half mile from our house on his way back from taking the kids at the four way stop...keys still work...but dented really good everywhere else...had to throw out one house key. they took a beating. so glad the keys still worked. the fords cost 75 to replace!  

no running. just work. 12.5 hour shift. off to moab tmr after work.  going with family. 1:30 pacer. do or die :). ready to have fun. wish somethings could last forever. but that is life. ready to help those who need it. no other running goals after this year as far as time goes. my four year getting fast  (started at age 39) stint has drawn to a close....just one more year for me in serious competition....it was fun. i will miss it but there is more to do.  

must have been something i ate and cont dst issues..could not sleep. woke at 330 am after trying to fall asleel at 11pm. was nauseated too and rumbling tummy.  nervous too about faing my pace job even though i know i can do it...kods excited to go. we r going to arches and other hikes. oir preempt to disneyland in 2 weeks.  soo....i wasnt going to run but it was stupod that i could not sleep..what else should i do?  o headed out the door with no plan but to run and detox all the stomach ailments and running ow would only make me feel worse so  just had fun with lack of sleep.  first mile 7:47.      then just settled into a medium pace and ran 7 miles @  a surprising 7:21 ap.  detoxed and felt strong the whole time. heel is a bugger but i have learned to adapt. moab here i come !  it has been 11years since i ran his course. where did time go?

Yesterday I was stuck at work until 530pm.  All day my coworkers were thinking how I could get off early.  Miraculously I was able to leave an hour later.  Left for Moab at 550pm.  Arrived in record time at 9 pm at the expo and that's with missing the Price exit and driving to the next one.  Ha ha.  My husband is a good driver. I am pretty much closing my eyes through Price Canyon. 

I picked up my pacing gear as the expo was packing up.  Walter was running the booth.  No pace band yet and was thinking I would bank time at the beginning if there was wind.  Walter said he had a course specific band for me but didn't have it with him.  Oh well.  I got a little nervous about my pacing spot--- 1:30 because I haven't done any pace work longer that 6 miles and that was last Monday!!  hee. hee.  I was also nervous about the course.  I haven't run it in 11 years and I honestly only remember it stating it was a downhill course...cause the river flows downhill.  But after the courses in Utah county and Bryce, Moab is not downhill.  It drops 150 feet the first mile then goes up and down about 16 times, a good up between mile 9 and 10.   Total uphill 343 feet. Total down 420 feet. Net loss 77 feet.  Hearing this and Walter telling me that people interested in the 1:30 pace were saying to him "YOU got a GIRL for the 1:30????" I was wondering if I got myself into too deep.  I might want to add that 11 years ago was my fastest time here (I believe I have run moab 5 times) was a 1:42!!  LOL.    Faster with age I guess.  Seriously back then I was a recreational runner.  At 39 I started to think about getting faster.  Now at 44,  I am reaching my peak.  Luckily, Walter stuck up for me and told them "she is a great master runner and she will kick your butt". That energized me.  But I must point out HOW utterly exhausted I was.  Working two 12 hour shifts, zipping it down to Moab and only sleeping four hours Thursday night, and shaky 5 hours sleep Friday night.  I was in FOCUS mode. 

Kelli picked me up at my hotel.  Kids asleep husband rolling eyes.  Come on it is 745am!!!  Wake up.  Moab half starts at 10am for those who don't know that.  I packed warm gear but ODDLY I wore my running skirt and never once felt the need to put on my sweats.  I wore my fleece pullover to the start but didn't even need my gloves.  I put them on though when I got to the start just cause.  We had our pacing signs (and course specific pace band provided by Walter at the busses) and made our way to the start.  I looked over the pace band and decided to try and follow it the best I could.  Not knowing the course really I just had to believe the band.We arrived at the start at 910am.  It was a crowded walk uphill.  The steepest and really only net downhill mile is the first one.  I realized I hadn't even warmed up and this ol' body needs a warm up.  I placed my bag in the truck and ran 0.1 miles downhill through the crowd and out into the open.  I then picked up my pace until it read 6:40 at 0.3 miles and turned around and jogged easily uphill to the start.  Ha Ha. That was the extent of my warmup. Got at my pacing spot and introduced self.  BUT now I had to pee real bad.  Kelli, Amy and I already stood in a 20 minute porta potty line.  But now I wondered if I really had to go or if it was nerves.  There was no way I could run feeling this urgency.  I rushed over to a side of a cliff and went as privately as I could.  Good thing  I did.  I really did have to go!! Ha ha.  Rushed back to the line with 5 minutes to go and talked more to my group.  I met Paul and Caroline.  Stories of last years wind from Paul and how the pacer was off, yahta yahta.  Yay me!! more nerves.  Caroline, had never run a half marathon but ran her first full marathon in 3:10.  YIKES. 

And we were off.  In the first 0.1 miles my pace was at 5:30!!  My followers with me.  Slow down Nelli!!  So I backed off and hit the mile in 6:37.91 (6:40 goal).  Okay, I will just show you how on I was to the pace band--  actual pace first, goal in parenthesis.

1. 6:37.91  (6:40)

2. 6:47.23 (6:48)

3. 6:46.38 (6:52)

4. 6:49.79 (6:48), water station between miles 3 and 4.

5. 6:51.44 (6:52).  Paul asks to take my pace sign for me for a few miles.  Go for it.  It was breezy for my five miles and it was tricky to run with it.  I felt naked without it at first however.  My bright pink shirt, stood out however.

6. 6:45.70 (6:44),water station right at the end of this mile.

7.  6:48.80  (6:48)

8.  6:52.23 (6:52)

9.  6:48.48 (6:52)

10. 7:01.84 (7:00) , the hill at 9.3 miles was a bit of a shocker, I slowed way down to a 7:15 pace and even with some downhill after cresting I could couldn't get the pace to 7:00 in time.  Water station too.  Get the sign back in my hands close to the end of this mile. 

11.  6:59.12 (7:04).  Surprising.  I was ready to kick it in but can't.  I am the pacer.  Held back and let my pacing buddy Paul take off.  He was glad he held back and hung with me.  He said he would have gone out too fast and crashed before finishing.  He came in at 1:29:28.  He was happy. 

12.  6:58.71 (7:00)

13. 6:58.02 (7:00).  Okay here I am turning it up a bit cheering guys as I pass them or they pass me.  Getting cheered on by the crowd.  I am at a 6:40 pace at the 1/2 mile mark of this mile and as I turn the last corner I see the finish line and think "wow that is really close" then look at my watch ...it reads 1:26:45....uh oh.  I am way ahead of schedule...so my garmin that was reading the miles about 30 seconds early after mile 6 or so was really just the course markers being off.  So I just ease up on pace and reach the crowd where I can see the clock as it is about 1:29:55....and I am like...oops slowed down too much and started picking it up but I was too late for the 1:30:00.  I was like "how did that happen?"  and then realized my watch read the course at 13.19 miles instead of 13.1.  The finish looking so close was an optical illusion.  It really was 0.5 miles away!!!  ha ha.  Despite that I felt pretty good in my timing.  Right on the money for all the splits.  I would just look at my garmin about 0.2 miles into a mile and lock my pace in for that mile based on my pace band.  It was that simple : D.  If there was a hill I would slow a teensy bit and if a downhill I would pick it up. 

13.19   1:15.87 (supposed to do 41 seconds for 0.1 miles).   Obviously if you cut that time in half it would be 38 seconds so I would have been right on the nose :D . 

Okay...so Paul was happy and all the guys who glared behind themselves at me with the sign sped up...quite a bit.  I am certain they were running away from the girl with the sign :D .  One guy passed me at mile 11.5 saying "I have been chasing you for 5 miles, Thank you pacer!!".  At the finish green hair guy said Thanks.  He at one point during the race said  I was going to fast...but it was him going too fast (I said that to myself) cause he was sprinting up to me then reading that mile on his garmin.  We talked about that at the finish.  Good times!!  Fun to be around a lot of guy finishers.  Caroline finished in 1:31:45.  She stuck with me until mile 6.  She was bummed but realized how hard this course was and was able to feel better after I told her she rocked it.  She really did. First half marathon in Moab, come on that is awesome!!!  Waited for Kelli to finish.  She had a good group of followers.  : D. 

My kids were at the finish.  "Mom, are you ready to leave now".  Ha ha.  We stayed one hour.  My kids informed me that they heard the announcers at the finish say  I won the top Master Award.  Later I learned that it was a special award in Memory of Sheri Haymore. Sheri died 200 yards from the finish of this race in 2005.  Wowsers.  Her three daughters were there to give out the award.  I was on the grass with my family just talking.  We never heard any announcing.  Apparently the award ceremony is VERY short and was held at 12:15 (45 minutes after I finished).  At 12:30 my kids were itching to get out so I went over to the awards table 10 feet from where I was sitting and asked when they were doing the awards...and they had already done them.  I felt foolish.  The race director walked me over to one of Sheri's daughters and she presented me with my trophy and a nice back pack with some fun things inside (head lamp and two pairs of socks).  I was very humbled and honored to have won this award.  We hugged and talked briefly.  Wow. What a day!! 

Later we hiked in Arches National park to the Delicate Arch and Balanced Rock.  On Sunday we hiked to Double O.  Sunday there were few clouds in the sky and the wind picked up as the day went on.  We had 30 to 50 mph wind gusts on our entire 3 hour hike!!  I had some moments where I had to sit down on the rock in fear of falling. I am afraid of heights.  And lots of silent prayers for my children who seem to have no fear.  We were quite the site with all the dirt in our hair and shoes. Not sore either of the two days, but ankle gave me grief enough.  Story of my life ; D.  Drove home at 3:30 pm.  Dinner at Grandmas in American Fork.  Everyone took showers when we got home.  Ahhh....nice to be home in the frozen air!! what the heck??? wind and artic air again?????  blah : D.

10.4 recovery miles up and over around cedar hills.  8:18 AP.  first few miles 8:30 to 8:40.  tired in the head but not body.  need more sleep. 

PM.  1.55 miles with Courtney to her soccer practice with dad.  9:21 AP.   helped her do some pick ups...30 sec/on off x 5.  She was not happy with me but she did it. 1.61 miles back home alone  8:12 AP.  last half mile 7:30 ap.  felt good.  work next two days on mom/baby at AFH.

needed extra hour of sleep so no run.  long BUSY day at work.  non stop 12.5 hours. 

need extra hour of sleep but not wanting to skip two days in a row.  med pace run.  7:20 AP for 6 miles.  first mile 7:40.  EVEN busier day at work.  quite tired mentally.  i wonder how good of a runner i would be if i didn't have to work full time busy shifts that pretty much waste me.  seriously??  like moab was on little down time in 80 hours!!  so wish i could just vegetate some days.  hence....i can't keep this pace up longer than this year....something has to give...and its running.   ka ching.  oh well.  i will squeeze it in when i can after st george. 

Taunya, my coworker and old running buddy from four years ago asked me to join her and Jessica on their last 20 miler before Boston.  My first 20 miler since a year ago (not including the three marathons I ran).  I figured since they were planning to go about 8:15ap it would be good for me.  BUT HELLOOOOO wind!!!!  We left at 8:48am and still the wind was ferocious.  Comical at times.  And Highland had a few inches of snow dumped on them.  BRRRrrr!!!  We first ran a 9.25 mile very hilly loop and came back to Taunyas for a water stop.  No stopping entire 9 miles. AP 8:15 here.  Started watches again after 5 minutes in Taunya's house.  Starting again was tough.  Achy old bones.  Taunya is 45 and Jessica and I are 44 so we could all relate to aches and creaks.  We ran a second 11 mile loop into Alpine.  That nice hilly route.  Not nice to have such a brutal headwind then side wind and then "hey why the crosswind coming back???".  When your gone for that long the wind likes to "hunt" you down : D.  Surely 30 mph winds the entire run.  Stopped about 3 minutes at Eternal fountain (mile 15.25) and we were on our home stretch.  AP for entire 20.3 miles = 8:09.  Last mile 7:39 our only mile that quick.  All others between 7:50 and 8:32.    Last 0.3 miles 6:43 pace.  : D.  The only extent of a push in this run.  We were all just trying to have a nice attitude about the wind. 

creak....to the rec center.  brrr. outside.  plan easy miles on tm.  got a little bored.  so.....7.1, 7.2, 7.3,7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7 mph (8:27 down to 7:47per mile), actually last 1/4 mile increased pace to 6:49 (8.8mph).  Kept incline at 1%  except LAST 1/4 mile of EACH mile I increased the incline to 4% because I am tough like that. Ha ha.  I am seriously just bored and I need things to focus on.  Got Off tm to reset it (shuts down at 60 minutes and I was at 56).  AP 8:00.  Quick drink of water.  Then two MP miles...6:49 x 1/2 mile, 6:44 x 1/2 mile, 6:40 x 1/2 mile, 6:35 x 1/4 mile and last 1/4 mile from 6:00 to 6:31 pace for a fast finish. 0.5 % cause I am wimpy about incline at times. Felt good.  A little tight from the 20 miler but really easy cardio wise.    I cooled down x 1/2 mile as husband not around to tell me to get off now : D.   7:53 pace for that 1/2 mile.  Total AP 7:43 I think. 

busy day in nsy....saving lives. nonstop for a seven hour moment. finally ate breakfast at 245pm. after work...ran at 645 pm with courtney for two miles outside. our loop. once. brrr.  but dressed warm enough. back to winter again.  then went right into anothed 3 two mile loops. reversed the direction the last one. ap 8:16 for six recovery miles. ap with courtney 10:00. she is always good the first mile but quits in effort tbe second. she will get there. like running with her.  

wow....tired last night...drifting off to sleep reading scriptures off my phone to the family (we take turns each night). KONKED out right after kids sent to bed.  It was 930.  Awoke at 5 am briefly back to bed til 7am.  Courtney to Orthodontist before school at 815. Then dropped her off at school and drove to rec center.  Last night I decided I should do mile repeats again after inspiring 5ks by FRBs.  Man alive they aren't exactly fun-- max vo2 zone is just not me.  Anyway....I looked back at what I did last time and decided to start a bit faster (6:22, 6:22, 6:20, 6:18  LAST time).  So this is what I did:

2.5 mile warmup at 8:13ish pace, 2 % incline after first 0.75 miles at 1%.  Then right into mile repeats.  Body a little tight in the warmup and after waking but that I am getting used to.  Old age ya know ; D.   So 0.5% incline I ran 6:15 x 4 MILES with 800 recovery at 8:27 pace, 2% incline.  Last 1/4 of last mile I ran 6:03 to 6:11 pace so really last mile was about a 6:10.    Ran the 8 miles here in 57:29. Cooled down with 2 miles at 2% grade 8:03 AP started at 8:27.  Got nauseated last 1/4 mile of the repeats and really wanted to quit but resisted that thought.  It was in my head cause my legs were no more tired.  I was really lacking sugar since I hadn't eaten for 13.5 hours.  Ooops.  I was really thirsty too but my goal was not to stop TM until repeats were over.  Need some sort of plan for Ogden. Then Utah Valley.  I am thinking the thought  Fail to plan, Plan to Fail.  So I will be writing it out over the next few days what I should be doing.   

alarm didnt go off as planned at 430am. volume turned down. woke at 505!.hurried and got out the doorm only time to do four but since my pace as brisk i squeezed in a fifth mile. 5 @ 716 ap.  off to work with a five minute transition time :). actually felt good on run.  

intense fatigue...fell asleep at 9pm....such a busy 13 hoir wprk day yesterday. almost didnt get myself to run. ton of bricks run....my brain was so tired that it couldnt move my body. first time thos year i started the tm at 857 pace. in fact wasnt below 830 pace til mile six!  just couldnt wake up. felt drugged. no muscle soreness whatsoever. weird. ran all at 2% incline. ap....824 for 10.  1050 elevation gain.

steroid shot yesterday at 4. lidocaine helped me walk normal and pain free for 3 hours...then owie! back to bone on concrete burning pain with walking. it takes a few days to work. i screamed out in labor-like pains. dr said next time he os wearing ear plugs.   so today....18 miles since going out of town.  couldnt sleep...got only four hours. out the door at 452am.   ran 5.5 miles on my own. opening mile 837. really wanted to hit my garmin....effort didnt match pace so i jist eased into it considering yesterdays misedableness. met up with kim jane and cchandi. at kims. after two slow miles with them...tbey had to tell me to slow down...that is a first....kim and i went ahead. we ran just over 11 together.  i then ran a mile back to my house for 18. we were talking with chandi and jane for five minutes.  last mile 637.  felt foot the first three miles then it relaxed. just waiting for steroid to kick in :-).    then everybody watch out. ha ha.   ap for 18 --7:36 :) PM---2 miles with courtney in alpine before brookes scrimmage in soccer. veru slow. courtney does not like to run. the second mile she is mad at me. spmeday she will thank me. she actually has a good attitude when we r about to start. so yay. ap 10:35.  couple planks abs and pushups something different every 30 seconds. got out of upper body workout habit i had started so getting back slowly. 

wide awake at 1130 last night. insomnia again. woke with alarm at 445am. out the door for recovery miles....before work. first mile 9:09 :)  ap 8:18. this was ver much a out of body run...just in cruise control. long day at work ahead. leaving for california in am.

Insomnia..prevacation anxiety....yesterday shift took a lot out of me. Got home at 7 pm....packed and stressed about tickets...and was super fatigued that i couldnt fall asleep...especially knowing i was running 5 miles up/down af canyon with kim. Picked her up at 530. Parked at base and made our ascent. Significant headwind blowing down the canyon. Yikes. Of course it was gone by the time we came back down...felt no wind when we reached my car again. Ha ha. The first three miles i thougbt i migbt quit. I was so tired. Mentally and physically. My breatbong was irradic. But tbis climb is brutal even without headwind. First mile 8:41. Last uphill mile 754.stopped once on top where kim had water for us. The. We just ran quick dpwn. 636,618,615,611,606. Nice progreszion. The first downhill mile is always an adjustment. We talked the entire way full on conversation up and down.ap for 10 miles --724. Now on my way to california as i type this. Need a nap.

10 recovery miles...big square around disneyland area....harbor to ball road to broomhurst to chapman to harbor.   10@ 825.   disney ca adventure from 8am to 10pm.  walkes to/from park entrance.  1 mile each.heel pain back after five miles   figure due to concrete dips from driveway entrances on roadways.

no watch but met melanie at her hotel at 5 am. 0.3 wu.  ran 1.2 wu (7:37, running with melanie :)  )  stopped and mel set up watch for 15 min on /off --1 min on/2min offs. accidentally started with an on at 2 minutes....realized this at 1 min 20 secs into it. so had a 40 second recovery then started with the garmin beep for the first minuted. does this make sense? it does to us :-).  on paces 535 to under 6. mel had watch. i felt really good the whole time and could have down a few more. two minute recovery faster than i would do but totally felt good so it didnt matter. cooldown too fast so i had at least a 0.3 jog back to my hotel. so happy to have melanie to run with. very fun! would not have run any speed this week of she werent here. :)     oh and heel not a single problem til the cooldown mile when we were on more concrete that had the dips for driveways.  bummer cause now i have to take on disneyland for 14 hours. kids and husband asleep right now. i am in front desk area hanging out. time to shower and wake them. :)

bed at midnight. 15 hour day at disneyland. ran into mel and her family several times. :)   even waited  in 45 min jungle cruise line together. time flew by in that maze. this am just ran easy..close to same route as speedwork except ran tnru downtown disney. ran at 630 am. 9.36 miles @ 815 ap.  first mile 8:42. last mile 7:33.  still at disneyland. going to be here til midnight. fast passes for space mtn at 1125pm :-)  

no plan. hey operating on 16 hour dayz at disneyland. kids actually slept in. had to wake them up finally at 840.  ran at 7am.  busy time with traffic but able to get in 2 mile repeats- 615, 615.  had to slow on second one. almost took out a group hogging the side walk. geez come on it is vacatio. here.  8 at 724 ap.    got myself in a mess...o. a whim sigmed up for hollywood half marathon....yup it is t mr.hollywood.  

disneyland for 7 hours......then off to hollywood.  37 milez in 1 hr 47 min. how do californians do this? 

Okay--signed up for this race on Thursday while at Disneyland with family on Day Four of 15 hour days walking around park. I ran all week getting up early before family and running between 9 and 10 miles each day.  Two speed work days as well.  Seriously what was I thinking?  By day six -- "race" day my legs were hamburger.  Friday we drove to Hollywood.  Who knew 37 miles could take 1 hr and 45 minutes???  How do Californians do this day in day out traffic????  Got to hotel and drove only 4 miles to Univeral Studios and picked up packet at the Hilton there. The expo was nice.  I couldn't stay long.  Husband was outside in car...avoiding parking fine of 15 dollars.  They didn't give the Half marathoners a break. 

Race Morning--- slept poorly.  Nothing new.  I was having chills for some reason so took some ibuprofen before bed and sweated it out while I slept.  Woke up achy and TOTALLY forgot to drink or eat anything.  Troy drove me over to shuttle at the Hotel at 445am.  Met Dexter, a runner, a nurse and a photographer, asian.  Very nice, social.  We talked a lot.  We got along real well. He is in his fifties. Sadly, shuttle GOT lost.  We didn't get there til 535am and I had to go potty real bad.    I almost didn't make it to a potty and there were not outdoor spots that didn't have police surveillance.  I found a hotel.  That was the extent of my warmup.  Running to that hotel when I saw it.  Made it just in time.  Then still had another 0.3 mile walk to starting line.  It was dark.  Race starts at 6am.  I got to starting line at 550am.  It was fun hearing the DJ and hanging around up front.  The elite runners got to take off a minute early--they had a rope holding us back.  Funny thing was that several NONrunning looking people stood up by the elite runners. The DJ had to announce "okay now If YOU CAN't RUN a 5:00 minute mile you shouldn't be up here" .  It was funny.  A few came back but a few still stayed up there.  Seriously????  Dexter took several pictures of me at the starting line then made his way back to his corral. Anyway, next was my corral. I started up front.  I had no idea about competition.  A skinny blonde girl began running by me.  It was a little nerve wracking wondering what I got myself into and who are the runners beside me?  It was quite dark for the first four miles.  I am not a very good fast runner in the dark but I managed okay.  I think my first mile was a 6:33.  Then 6:34, then 6:39, 6:39, 6:45....DEATH BY A HILL-- 7:24.  DEATH by a HILL again 6:55.  Then recovery downhill but for some reason I couldn't pick it up more- 6:43.  Legs were trashed.  I could now FEEL the OVER 50 miles of walking I did at Disneyland (our hotel was just over a mile away and we walked there and back every day and twice I did it again to put something in our hotel room-- this would be after long days at disneyland--rarely sitting down, going from Park to Park and Ride to Ride, like any other diehard Disney fans).    The course had TWO U-turns and one monsterous climb from 4.5 to 6 miles then from 6.2 miles to 6.8 miles and the entire mile from 8 to 9.  Then rolling hills all the other miles-- nothing steep just rolling on uneven concrete.  My running buddy stayed ahead of me after mile four and she was about 30 seconds ahead at the first Uturn at 6.2 miles (10k was 42:02).  Blah.  The second uturn was just after mile 9.  I no longer saw my running buddy.   I really thought she just stopped running and ended the misery cause I didn't see her coming back (later I found out that she saw me and waved but I was in a zone she said-- must have spaced out on that hill).  That mile was 7:14.  One might think that time could be made up but it just wasn't happening for me.  I was tired.  I needed a nap.  Not a race.  6:55 was all I could muster.  I calculated that if I just ran 7s I could get sub 1:30--- but I didn't factor the course being off by .07.  BUMMER.  Mile 11 was merging with all the 10k and 5kers.  WE all started at the same time.  Seriously funny to pass that many people when we started at the same time.  I was feeling pretty good about myself.  A couple of guys passed me (three total) and I passed a few girls that started in the elite corral.  Not sure why mile 11 was slower...it just was 7:06.  Could have used a 6:50 there!!! The next mile was okay. Still not fast enough but mentally I was giving up passing all the slow joggers and wondering how off the course would be.  6:55 was all I could get.  Followed by another 6:55.  Then hello--- must have got some fire in me-- 6:06 for the last 0.17 miles.  I was the first female master (I chipped the elite female who is 41 and started a minute ahead but finished only 14 seconds at the line ahead).  I got a STAR trophy for winning my division.  There is supposed to be prize money awarded but they have to figure it out.  They weren't expecting the second wave women to catch the first wave women.  Blah.  It was well run for the second year of holding the race.  People were encouraged to dress up as their favorite movie star.  As we were leaving a guy dressed up as Joe Dimaggio was running along side FIVE Marilyn Monroes!!!!  too funny.  The finish line was right next to the concrete "star" with Michael Jackson's name in it.  We of course took a picture.  I got to meet my running buddy. She finished in 1:27:21.   She hung out with Troy, Courtney and I for over an hour.  Very pleasant , social girl.  She is 33 and would fit right in with my running group here in Utah.  She is from Hollywood.    She ran 3:04 at LA marathon last month.  She came in fifth today.   I came in 8th.  I thought I was 7th but I was chipped by a girl.  Oh well.  I chipped a girl too, so we're even.  The top women ran 1:15, 1:15.  The first place girl is Bernard Legat's sister!!  Third place girl ran only a 1:24 and won 1,000 dollars.  Wish Rachelle were here she would have had some easy money :D.  There was then a girl who ran a 1:25, then Erin in 1:27.  Then a girl that chipped me with 1:29:53.  Not sure what the other time was for the 6th place girl.  I ran 1:30:31 for 13.17 miles.  Not bad on tired legs and honestly kind of a not so fun course on tired legs.  If I tapered or didn't run speedwork and walked 50 miles I would have felt differently in this race.  Ran cooldown to the starting line 0.7 miles away.  Then back to finish.  Had to pick up my drop bag.  They were taking down the starting line and I hooked my bag to the gate. That gate was gone when I got there.  And I turned around and asked one of the workers if he saw a Hollywood Half bag.  He happened to have one in his hands and it was MINE!! with my warm pullover I wore all winter. So glad I had good timing.  He said he was about to throw it out.  We left the race at 930am back to hotel. Sore throat came on hard after race.  Chills and fever that night and continued all day at work on Sunday-- a NON call in sick work day unless YOU have a dr's note.  No time or money to get a Dr.'s note.  So wore a mask. 

Sweated out my fever and sore throat all last night.  So glad for ibuprofen.  The pain in my throat yesterday with swallowing was intense--- but an hour after ibuprofen---MIRACLE.  Then I would sweat like crazy.  I did that at least five times in the last two days.   I felt weak going to bed and still achy.  But I awoke with a little more energy.  Ahhhhh amazing what a full NIGHTS sleep can do for your body.  I think the longest amount of sleep I got on vacation was 6.5 hours.  Was going to run outside, was even dressed for it with running tights (got to wear shorts every day in California).  But it was pouring out so I went to the rec with Troy at 8:10am.  Plan to run 8 miles but I was feeling better and better that I ran 10.  Not totally recovered from flu but enough that I could run 10 miles at a decent pace.  I even added hills.  I pretty much started out at 8:27 pace miles and every quarter I had the incline at 1 % then 3 % then 2% then after the 0.75 miles I would up the pace by 0.1 mph.  I did this until mile 6 which I was then at 7:41 pace (although  I upped it to 9mph for about 20 seconds).  Then I ran til tm was about to shut off. 59:38 for 7.5 miles.  Got a drink for my dried mucosy throat and got on for 2.5 more miles.  Started at 8:00 pace for 1/4 mile at 1% the 1/8 mile at 3 % then 1/8 mile at 2%, then upped the pace by 0.1 miles. Repeated til I was at 2.5 miles--except last turn I upped pace to 9.7 mph for final 30 seconds.  19:14 for 2.5 miles.  AP for 10 hilly miles = 7:53.  Quite the Detox run.  No sign of PF in my feet. In fact feet felt the best they have in a long time.  : D.

10 miles at rec around track. 65 laps. tm makes go fast. just had digital clock on wall each lap. ap 8.  lot of running around to fourth lane but not stressful. got bloody nose from dry air. kept running til 6 miles then washed off and got water.  y end i dry heaved up some stomach fluids out of no where and now lying in bed with most likely stomach flu. i feel like i could vomit at any moment. achy all over mostly stomach cramps and that feeling u get in your throat. gross. i have been lyong down all morning. this came with no warning. sore throat and chills all weekend now this?

holy flu miles.  i felt a bit btr and managed to get out at 1030am.  all sunny from the looks of it from inside my house but geez I needed a head band and gloves along with pants!!  whatever!!  first mile so very weak.  9:36  : (   that is as much as I could muster.  just kept putting one foot in front of the other.  yesterday was one my most miserable days of my life.  I finally ended up vomited my guts out around 4.  Who knew one could vomit that much fluid and debris.  sorry tmi but i am a nurse.  felt much btr but that only lasted an hour or less then the body aches came on again and high fever.  i took a chance and took some motrin.  i could not take the body aches any longer.  it kicked in within an hour and was able to take a short nap pain free.  but back again came the aches......this happened all night.  i finally dozed at 730 am after troy got the kids off to school.  so sad to watch the morning sun and not be a part of the world but it was necessary.  slowly but surely changed into running gear.  looking good is feeling good right?  ha.  AP 8:34 for 8 miles.  slowly made my way around my house doing laundry and then showered.  now i feel nauseated again.  ate a banana before run and two pieces of toast afterwards.  i have lost five pounds even with drinking over 32 ounces of gatorade and water....slowly of course.  I was wicked thristy through all this.   VERY not helpful to have another visit from my cousin.  Her timing is always impeccable.  Gotta love her!!! 

7 nauseatinv miles......going to throwup soon.  geez.here my %eet dont hirt but my stomach and muscles are weak.i feel wicked depressed. no appetite. cramps. body aches. no adrenaline high. low as dirt. the way stomach flu makes anyone....but i m a runner......not just anyone! flip this is taking too long to pass. not running would make me feel even more depressed jist like ha ing to call in sicl for work. blah. lying down trying to hold cookies in.  didnt really eat cookies though. ap 8:23.

8 easy miles with 15 x30 sec strides/ 30 sec easy.  AP 7:41 for all 8.  With two left my right hamstring go real painful.  out of no where.  probably due to flu all week.  muscles kind of sick right now.  hope it goes away as fast as it came.  did hip/it band stretches.  most likely hip tight although doesn't feel it.  in fact nothing feels tights.  just a pulled nerve-like pain--scaitica per se.  paces on were all over the place--- sometimes I wanted to slow earlier so I did so it made the automatic garmin timer read it slower, of course.  Actually accidentally did 16 x 30.  I ran into my cooldown mode on my garmin.  ha ha.   Best paces 5:40 x 2.   AP for all 16...6:05  I think.    I definitely felt "squishy", like no hydration and weak but better than other days this week.    Long run with Kim tomorrow.  Early start of course.  Better start actually eating more sustaining foods than just toast with butter. 

just should never have run. very serious. sickly tired when i awoke. more than usual.  right hamstring quite tight and very sore. i wore skirt and felt warm even thoigb it was 39 degrees. tried not to disappoint kim so ran quicker but not too quick . just quicker than how i usually run this route. i would have felt bad either way. my miscles were weak and dehydrated from 7 day illness....started with sore tbroat last friday night...then fever/chills...then vomiting tuesday...then again thursday.  lots of sweating off fevers with motrin.  it was like one of last years runs...jist notbing in me. wanted to quit when kim left me to do tempo. it was very depressing for me to not feel one ounce of good. got home and my body was burning in areas...didnt realize how cold it really was...had some red marks on chest, stomach and all over back. felt like a wicked sunburn when thawing. i may take mon to wednes off to recoup. 744ap. 

tired a lot.  wake up tired.  muscles feel weak.  anemia most likely cause.  taking four days off.  this is day two.  but I do work two 12 hour shifts tues and wed.  off to Arizona to see mother on Thursday night for four nights with my sister.  Reality check for me with this anemia--  run easy with only one tempo and a few pick ups.  only just under five weeks left til marathon number 1.  I don't feel ready physically or mentally so I need to set my goals lower to just a course PRs for the slam.  Ogden that would be a 3:14.  Utah Valley 3:08 (depending on how Ogden goes).  Then for Park City 3:30 or better.  SG 3:06.   I don't know how to crack this anemia and also my age factor along with hypothyroidism.  I will just do what I can do.  Nothing forced or I will tire too early.  Need energy and I have none.  So it is better to cool my jets now.  If it happens I start to feel better than I will go with it.  Onward.  I don't have much time.  So whatever happens happens.  I  am having a lot of right sided sciatica and hamstring pain.  Hence a forced time off with the fatigue.  I have had this before...resting helps.  It will be time to taper by the time I get started.  That is funny : D. 

becoming a non runner....day three....worked all day.  tired a lot.  sore throat. feet dont hurt. deeply troubled  by events yesterday. spent all morning...4 hours worth watxhing the boston marathon. finally turned it off. then called an hour later by melanie. i had to have her repeat herself several times. her words did not make sense to me.  just heartwrenching.  

wow look at me go.......not. day four off. sciatica still happening. it stops randomly so hoping tmr is random :)

HOLY WEAKNESS!!!  seriously the FLU knocked me back like five months in training.  I wake in the morning barely able to get out of bed but of course I have to run.  I took the four days off and by golly I gotta get out there.  I have been in a depression of sorts.  My body is just not cooperative and with this weeks events emotionally I came apart.  But I am digging my way back up....just wish my body absorbed nutrients appropriately.  I can tell I am anemic.  My heartrate is up after work outs and I super fatigued.  HOWEVER my tonsils are still swollen (mono?? again!!!???)  Had mono in 2003.  Massive fatigue and tonsilittis.  Flip I hope that is not the case.  That takes a good four months to recover from.  DRAGGED MY TIRED tushy to the rec center and just put one foot in front of the other.  Okay of course I have to start where I left off.....so I planned a 7 mile tempo for myself but I quit at 6.25 miles cause I was forcing it at that point.  Mentally I was not there to push myself physically.  I also felt very thirsty and in need for some sugar.  I didn't eat anything since the night before.  It was 810am.  I put the TM at 2% and 7.1 mph (8:27).  I ran four miles--8:27, 8:13, 8:00, 7:47...and a little faster at the finish. AP 8:00.  Jumped off and got some water.  Then ran 1/2 mile 2% 7:30 to 8:00.  Started progressive half marathon pace tempo (no longer have lofty goals thinking this is marathon pace any more, man I am in a funk).  Started "easy"-- 0.5 % incline...6:53, 6:49, 6:44, 6:44, 6:40, 6:40 and 6:40 for last 0.25 miles.  I just felt so weak that I stopped it 3/4 mile from goal.  Muscles all jell-o like and my hamstring just keeping under radar.  No need to risk it.  Ran cooldown at 7:24 to 8:00 pace for 1.25 miles.  1%.  AP for last 8 miles = 6:54.   Wish I had a magic pill cause I don't see this going anywhere soon.  ZERO motivation.  I had a old guy however point me out to another old guy---I had my ear phones but I lip read--"look at that girl behind you on the TM".  It was pretty obvious he was talking about me. 

in casa grands arizona.   ahhhhhh flat and grenery...who knew the desserr could be so beautiful? creaky bones and sore muscles...and most of all second toes ouch! i must have ran tense yesterday as by the end my toe nail beds were very tender! blisters underneath i presume.....so the first three miles were the waiting period for endorphins to numb the toe pain.   seriously i feel three or more months back in training.   i only have four weeks for marathon one.  not ready.  ap today 8:16.  two miles on dirt/sand. first and last. first mile 9:01 :) 

20 miles in arizona. left at 627am. should have left earlier. kind of hot. going to be in the 90s today. kind of forgot about water...ooops. ran some loop in a neighborhood nearby then headed in town. first mile 8:34...went around pond after that for some varying elevation he he. so flat here.  was really thinking i wouldnt make it far. so many creaks and leftover soreness from tempo two days ago. old lady legs. geez.  so i just kept it going. left music tucked in shirt and decided to put it on at my one and only water stop at 10.5 miles. it was a circle k. i managed to get a potty stop and asked for a cup in desperation.  i knew the last 9.5 miles with increasing heat and no shade..flat dessert here was gonna be monotonous. vra bed some water i did bring two gus which probably saved my life. took at 7 and 13 miles without water. this was more of a provressive 20 without progressing past my fastest mile 17 of 7:11. the last three were 7:19 ap. i was so ready to be done and dirt for the last mile was a sligbt hindrance to pace. ap 7:34 for 20. now relaxing. heading to the pool after a cold shower. first and last 20 before ogden.  four weeks to go.  

no plan but easy pace.  not sore from 20 miler. phew. but not happy to be back to cold weather. so went to rec ctr with troy. i put tm at 2% grade. started at 8:27 x 1 mile....gradually each mile picked it up no faster than 7:53...still at 2%. kept it there the entire run. need to work otber muscles after flat as a pancake arizona. did 6 strides x 0.1 miles-- 6:07 x 2, 6:03 x2, 6:00x2 with 0.2 miles easy at 7:53.  e entually took pace to 7:30 and put in one fast 1/2 mile just cause--6:30 pace. forgot i waz at 2% and was glad it wasnt noticeable. ap for all 9.5 miles 7:44. no water/fuel. felt strong but now tired...did a lot of laundry and ironing.  cleaning. mivraine coming on.  i am running the thanksgiving half on saturday. hope i can break 1:30 on yet another honest course. it is hilly. just ask for no wind. 

Plan 6 x 800s.  This is just me thinking up random speedworks on any given day.  I have no real schedule.  Hope it works for me : D.  When I got to the gym I was thinking I was ready but as I warmed up I was seriously not in the mood for speed.  No soreness just a blahness.  But managed a two mile warm up, 1%, 8:26ap.  Just random slow to slower to a little faster to slower warmup to get the muscles to waken fully.  Ran exactly as planned.  Phew.  I did it and didn't cop out.  So 9.8 mph x 2, 9.9 mph x 2, 10 mph x 3 (6:07, 6:03, 6:00) x 1/2 mile.  With equal time recovery jog at 6.8 mph (8:49 pace) for 3 minutes.  All at 0 percent incline.  No need to overdo it.  Was at 2% yesterday entire run.  I just needed my legs to check in with some speed for longer than a minute (ons/offs) and this sufficed.  Cooled down for just over a mile to make it an even 8.5 miles.  AP for 8.5 = 7:34.   20 minutes upper body.  Haven't done that in a while.  I even did a couple of ball squats.  I actually like doing those.  I feel so strong when I finish them.  My leg muscles are burning :D.    Got some new iron supplement called hemaplex.  It is a a whole food supplement and is less expensive than floradix liquid iron.  Also started taking kelp and zinc.  Time will tell.   So next few days will be real easy with some strides on thurs or friday x 5 probably.  Saturday's half marathon should be interesting.  I plan to go music and garmin-less. 

drove to saratoga spring vista heights jr high and met jen (neasts) for a very nice run in the foothills there.  just took it real easy.  it was cool out but sun was shining.  i quickly lost my jacket and placed it around my waist.  Jen wears hokas (sp).  Forgot to try them on Jen.  She totally runs ultras in them.  They are funky looking.  Better looking than the guy version.    We had a great run with about two miles on trail.  She even spoiled me with a powerade stop.  That's service!! we didn't care that we just stood there taking the time to drink it all in--scenery and sports drink.  She showed me her next conquest that she can see from her house-- a 50 k that climbs all around Camp Williams and this mountain of a hill in north Eagle Mountain.  YIKES.  Next year for me!!  Got too much on my plate this summer.  We will have to keep our eyes on Jen as she takes that beast on!!.  8.3 miles @ 8:32 pace.  Good that it felt like a 9:30 ap.   I needed this recovery run.  

sleepy run...before work almost didnt run....wanted another hour of sleep. after a 8:38 mile all the other miles felt better....last four 7:40 ap.  felt easy. ap for 6 - 7:56. at work all my joints started to ache. would like to be done with competitive running.....looking forward to a long break not really caring about a running event and just running when i feel like it.  burn out.

slept four hours after two 12.5 hour busy no sitting down shifts. totally had no time to think about a race. i was awake, wide awake at 337am!!   kim (taylor) picked me up at 610. ran 3  mile wu at 8:06. i felt awful. my joints in my feet especially right big toe joint was stiff and painful to push off. i was really worried in the wu.   my legs were nonresponsive. i really felt i was now not capable of my 1:30 goal. the course is ridiculously challenging....cobblestones, hairpin turns and steep inclines/declines at every moment.  no repreive. and with my anemia my heart rate could not recover. the concrete on golf course aggravated all my joint pains. i was ready to quit at mile five .  i kept kim cowart in my sight til mile 10.5 and then just gave up when i saw the last uphill.   i was in a lot of pain and my breathing accenuated it all.  i was the first master woman so i won 300 dollars. next master was at 1:40.  only my gun time shows on results since i was an overall winner. my time was five seconds faster..since i was just behind kim at the starting line and she had four seconds off.  she was forth overall. she rocked it with a 1:27:31.   i had nothing to give i. this race. it was over before it started. not sure how i am going to survive ogden, and the slam. this race was too much for me. watch in time mode only. no music.   should i have worn music? probably. i was alone the entire race. brief passes or passing remarks. i said thanks to the volunteers at every station with a smile. i seriously appreciate them. they were awesome i really feel lack of sleep, two busy shifts and my low iron is to blame. i am capable of so much of a better performance jere. i lnow ot and the joint pain was unexpected and seems to be something systemic.  i am being checked for rheumatoid arthritis. i also plan on a reformed diet to elliminate inflammation.  1 mile cooldown. mit wasnt worth the extra mile on joints.

8 miles at 630am.  Love that the sun rises early now.  AND that it is warm enough for me to wear shorts at this hour.  First time this year!!!    I was cold during the race in my arms from my elbows to my shoulders.  They were numb the entire race.  Today, NICE.  Wore gloves the entire run but shorts and short sleeves.  YES.  Ran an out and back run past AF high school and then the AF hospital half backwards from there to mile 11 and back to my house for 8.  first mile 8:26.  Last mile 7:18.  AP 7:50.  THEN quickly took daughter to school with her "baby".  She had the mechanical baby that stayed with her for three days and three nights.  It cries and you have to feed it or change it or rock it.  She had a computerized wrist band on so it knew if you didn't take care of the baby.  He was up every 1 to 3 hours each night.  My daughter is soooooo tired.  We brough him to my sisters last night as my mom flew into town.  My sister who has 7 kids and the youngest our twins almost five took over as mom for a bit.  It was funny.  He actually makes swallowing sounds when he eats and he burps after feeding and if you didn't fix the problem he keeps crying.  Fun experience for Courtney.  She should be a great baby sitter now as she was very patient (most of the time).  After I dropped off Courtney I went home and realized Courtney had an Orthodontist appt so I had to drive back up and get her.  We got there just in time.  I was supposed to meet Donna for a 3 mile run.  I was a little late but she was good, doing chores around the house. She is training for her first half marathon (AF hospital). I am going to train most days with her and actually run it with her. I won a free entry but it is ONE WEEK after my second marathon in three weeks so would not be wise to race it.  So I am excited to slow it down and help her.  She rocked our three miler-- 9:24 ap.  Tmr 4 miles.  : D.  This is gonna be good.  So happy about this.  ALSO going off white sugar/flour STRICTLY...NO CHOCOLATE CHIPS!! day two.  I am following the Paleo diet.  I am actually going off wheat completely for one week to see if it helps with my joint pain.  Started back up on my liquid iron yesterday (no worries KASSI).    She lectured me about my iron taking me after the race on Saturday.  I haven't taken my liquid iron for four weeks-- was at disneyland for one week (ran out the day of leaving), then I had the flu, then I just kept forgetting to pick it up the third week and then last week I did go to Good Earth to get it and saw a cheaper brand (pills called hemaplex) and thought cool I will try these.  BIG mistake.  INTENSE stomach cramps (this was last week tuesday and wednesday before the race) and it gave me anxiety.  Yup GREEN TEA extract was in it.  25 mg.   CRAPOLA.  I felt awful. After the first day I thought maybe I was imagining it but after day two it was obvious.  Green tea has a good amount of caffeine in it.  I asked the Good Earth guy and he said no that is just the extract that has the caffeine.  WRONG.  Looked it up-- green tea in any form has caffeine.  I wonder if that played along with my fatigue Saturday as I couldn't sleep thursday or friday night as well along with tuesday and wednesday night.  To make up for my iron problem I ate out at Texas Roadhouse-- 8 ounce sirloin steak.  YUM.  It was Brooke's half birthday so we took her out.  Just her and her parents.  We had a great time. 

okay i am thinking my pink mizunos are starting to wear down and playing a role in my right toe joint aching.  377 miles....hmmm.  I rotate.  anyway...no plan until I awoke and thought about it.  Was thinking a three mile time trial on the roads but opted for a worse option...THE TRACK.  I ran the ladder workout.  Man my mood is not into it.  I am depressed for some reason.  Well...there are reasons but I don't blog about them.   So....just know that this run was done under stress.  Basically I need to know this.  I struggled to see things not go easily for me.  Track never does so who am I fooling?  Here is the breakdown:

2.5 mile wu- 8:23ap to the track and one lap around.

200 meters- 39.52  (garmin pace will be in parenthesis 0.13 miles 5:24)

200 recovery.

400 meters-1:27.12.  (5:37, 0.26 miles)

400 recovery.

600 meters-2:14.97 (5:50, 0.39 miles)

600 recovery

800 meters 3:02.97  (5:57, 0.51 miles)

400 recovery (should have taken longer for this old body, what was I thinking?)

1000 meters 3:55.20  (6:14, 0.63 miles)   Crud this time is slower by 6 seconds from last November with Rachelle....need Rachelle to keep me going.  HOWEVER I will state that there was a signifcant headwind in the wrong direction.  You would think well then there is a tailwind too right?  well with 1000 meters you hit it THREE times since it is 2.5 laps AND the other side of the track is protected from wind as it is closer to the school.  I went backwards for a bit and didn't feel a headwind.  This is AF track.  I am just whining cause this workout was going sour!!!

600 recovery.

800 meters-- Total BABY here I stopped when I saw my time at 1:33 at half way so only 400.   I just didn't want to brave the headwind one last loop and fail.  WHAT a complete baby. I really should have done it.  I could have done it on goal.  Goal for 800s 2:59 to 3:07.8.  I would have done 3:07 if I ran the same lap again.  Geez.  Not good that I had my previous splits in my pocket to compare to.  COMPARISON is the THIEF of JOY.  MUST REMEMBER THIS!!  Thanks Kelli :D.    ALSO I must admit I was very very HUNGRY.  I have been on a CLEAN diet-- no white flour, flour at all actually and no sugar except in fruit.  Today I added whole wheat flour back in so I don't plummet.  BUT not a lot of my diet will come from it.  Okay that was a long post.  MOVING ON.

No recovery.  Just simply meditated what to do next since my failure.  Okay.

600 meters- 2:16.15 (5:52, 0.39 miles)

200 recovery

400 meters 1:30.38 (5:48, 0.26 miles)

400 recovery. 

200 meters 40.35 (5:24, 0.12 miles). 

Jogged 200 back to starting line, picked up gloves and jogged around track BUT when I got to the 200 mark I decided to try one more 200 for "fun" mainly cause of my earlier cop out on the finish of the 800.   SO...

200 meters 42.17 (5:40, 0.12).  I felt faster than last one since I didn't have the head wind so I assume I slowed near the end making the time shoot down quickly.  Who knows.    Maybe I just delayed hitting my stopwatch.  Felt better at least. 

Ran home 2 miles 7:58 ap.

40 minutes later:  ate breakfast before heading out-- 3 eggs, 1/4 cantelope, half a bagel with dap of butter.  Met with Donna for her 4 miler.  Ran a nice loop towards AF and back.  4.3 miles at 9:31 pace.  Nice run.  GREAT talk.  : D.  THANKS  DONNA : D. 

After thoughts...I think I forgot that I just ran a WICKED half marathon course on Saturday. DUH tired legs, ya think???  Seriously, I felt like jello.  My brain was so far ahead of my body in the speedwork.  Then I realized it had only been three days.  THREE.  I usually have four days in between tough workouts.  I work tomorrow so that makes it hard.  IN fact I work the next 4 of 5 days-- wednes, thurs and sat sun.  BLAH.

10 miles at 415 am before work. couldnt sleep so this waz good cause i want 70 miles this week. yup first 70 mile week in a very long time....like a year.  no worries this kind of hat tricks work for me. still dont know which marathon i am "racing".  time will tell. ap for ten today was 8. first mile 9:10. last mile 7:29. felt very easy. went right into 753 pace after two miles like i was jogging. maybe i should run at 415 every day.   

7 miles at 640. put on call last night. ap 7:48. 7 x 0.1 miles random strides. paces sweet for me.   then came home started laundry after kids off to school.  went to rec ctr witb troy. 4 miles easy on tm. started at 8:57 pace. ran 0.25 miles at 5:54 pace. then a little later 0.12 miles at 6:44 pace to 4 miles. i was bored and hungry eve. though i ate in between both runs. healthy though. sugar detox not easy.  ap 8:12.  upper body weights x20 min.

Plan 20 miler up/down Provo Canyon starting at Kneaders in Provo with 8 at marathon pace at the end.  Noticed Flag at maceys going west in the wind.  But not too badly.  But that always changes in the canyon.  Had to delete garmin 15 secs into run as it said memory was full.  Off to a slow start here.  It is 8:32am.  Stopped tried to figure out watch and quickly deleted data from over a month ago.  Sure hope I didn't delete things I hadn't downloaded yet.  Oh well. No time to delete individual activities.  I got to get started. Start out with my skirt and two layers on top with gloves.  Removed gloves at three miles and top layer at 8 miles.  The first few steps of my run I was seriously considering my sanity.  My legs ever so slowly moved.  I just said come on Julie you were ready yesterday.  Kept putting one foot in front of the other.  Passed the first water fountain at mile 2 and was like hey it is only mile two and there is a water fountain at the base of south fork.  WELL unfortunately it was not turned on nor were the bathrooms unlocked, except the outhouse ones which I quickly used.  I spent time walking from building to building trying to find an on spicket.  NOTHING.  This bummed me out.  I was now running my entire run with no water til I get back to about mile 17 and 18 where there are two.  Even the bathrooms at the campground were locked and the water was off.  I only took 10 seconds to check there.  So on up I went. That first mile into south fork was dreadfully hard.  I was wanting out right then but I pushed through and made it to 10 miles not even noticing the park I passed at mile 8 with a water fountain!!!  I was in a zone but I found it on my way back just before mile 12 and my 8 miles at marathon pace.  Halleluyah!!!  I was in heaven.  Took a gu at mile 5  and 10 (the turn around on top) and was thoroughly parched without water with it.  So thankful for that fountain.  It is at the start of the Provo Half and Marathon tomorrow.  Perhaps that is why it is on.  AT mile two of marathon pace miles I nearly finished the whole run.  I struggled to keep under 7.  It is where the steep downhill turns FLAT for a mile.  My body was not happy with the sudden change.  I had read an article in the runners world last night about positive thoughts and that negative really hampers your efforts.  I put it to the test and began with some positive voices to myself instead of the IMMENSE amount of negative self talk I was giving myself the entire run.  AND guess what???? it REALLY worked.  I surged and I didn't die and I felt better.  I had to purposely change my thinking several times in those 8 miles.  I was SO very close to quitting....but once I made the change... I believed in myself and I actually was able to run better and finish strong.  Splits---8:24, 8:06, 7:52, 7:53, 7:58 , 7:53, 7:37, 8:14 (200 feet elevation gain), 7:48, 7:53, down hill but easy pace no effort here the next two miles-- 7:25, 7:23, Marathon pace-- first mile too much downhill I had to slow myself down-- 6:44, 6:56 (that flat mile), 6:46, 6:48, 6:45, 6:46, 6:50, and 6:40.  Iced in Provo River up the canyon a bit.  Had to drive there.  8 minutes.  Ahhhhh.  Felt great.  Got in car and accidentally left my running shoes on the roof.  I saw flashes of Pink through my rear view mirror.  I did a U-ey on the Provo Canyon Highway and went back for them.  So glad I saw them or they would be Hamburger by Now.  Funny sight. 

rewrote this.  last entry too depressing. heel pain back.  but will just stop there.  8:39 pace before work.  5 miles.  recovery from 20 miler. 

feeling awful.  don't know what to do but take it one day at a time.  gonna start DHEA hormone that my level is extremely low in.  Look it up.  It is important.  A stress hormone--- precursor to all hormones.  apparently i have been under a lot of stress.  yup.  my runs are usually to help with that now it seems they are adding to the problem. heel pain back.  seriously?????  6 long miles to the rec center (8:20, no garmin, course tool).  I say long because my mind and body working together made it that way.  they are not connecting right.  running seems toohard.  even one mile seemed long today.  holy moly what is going on?  there is no "I love running moment" in running.  In fact when I run it is all fuzzy and surreal.  I will over come.  I have three times before (probably more).  I am tough.  but it would be nice to have magic pill to take to snap me out of this funk.  it feels like post partum depression without a beautiful baby to show for it.  sorry guys...i am supposed to be uplifting but I can't hide what is happening then i wouldn't be telling the truth.  I will figure it out and rise above it.  Hopefully in time for the St George Marathon.  Ogden is looking like a huge obstacle right now to me.  One foot in front of the other.  I am pretty much going to show up incognito, run, then come on back home like I never was there.  I hope I can muster a 3:13 (course pr).  Oh did spin class x 48 minutes.  First class since February. Trying to see if maybe running is a burnt out flame for me.  It was nice to do something new.  Ran home 2.88 miles (no garmin so had to course tool both runs, seems as though my garmin is in standby mode as well).  8:13 ap.  Stay tuned...digging myself out...no worries.  

still cant sleep.  and sadly foot pain back full force.   yay.   cant race ogden. iron level well below normal. found an informative write up on chronic pain and chronic iron deficiency anemia.   apparently the deficiency causes brain stem deficiency......leading to pain all down the spinal nerves to the feet. rbis is a very recent article/finding and fits me to a tee. intense nerve pains down spine and chronic pains in legs. oh man i felt so awesome after 8 weeks of intavenous iron tberapy in 2010 winter...that lasted one year and my level dropped again.  i highly doubt too many people would have run through tbis cbronic pain.  hence why from time to time i cant take it anymore. i actually feel worse than 2010.  5pm- tbought hey nice day out why not try a run? not good. felt awful. it saddened me the longer i ran. is this what burn out feels like? seriously i have no drive. no adrenaline. tbis sucks. bad. my legs and mind are on two difcerent bad wavelengths. i m trying to think or rest but nothing but runninglessness. how can this be?

Holy flip...dns is btr tham a dnf, right. cant even put weight on my heel.  wow this really changes my whole summer. another crippling sas running or i mean nonrunning summer. i see the hematologist on may 20. i tested out my foot qnd it hurt quite badly on the warmup but forced myself to run a quick 5k....i pretty mich whimpered the whole way and my left leg was doing double time since i couldnt land on my heel or push off. it was a disaster. i was full on crying at the end. just mad that this is happening AGAIN!   21:10 for 3.16 miles 6:41 pace. not out of breath at all just in too much pain to go faster. stupid move. now no running til ogden if i am painfree by then. see chiro and massage therapist monday.

50 minutes cybex trainer. heel hurt during this. :(.    i can walk better though. not painfree. really wish i was not stupid and just waited to see if i got into sgm....instead of trying to guarantee my spot by running the slam.   

worked all day. couldbarely walk on heel cant figure it out....why is there so much inflammatio. in a single moment? and immense tightness......stress peraonal and physical and body gave in and my mind is not too willing to overcome at this moment

5 miles broken up in to 0.1 to 0.3 miles at a time. yup was that painful and i found if i took long breaks in between i could get a grip on the pain. i did do one complete mile without stopping7:42 pace but my foot was asking to stop and walk. i was trying to concentrate on form and not the burning pain with each step.miracles can happen right?

holy flaming heel....not to mention sciatica as well throuh the symphisis pubis bone and lower back on right side only. left calf tight and shin  because it is doing all the work. i can only plant my foot down and strategically place itas to not have to push off too much. by the last mile (i ran 5 without stopping, training brain)  it spread to my ankle....burning knife like pain.   flip out.   so looking forward to chiro appt and massage today.  this pain in heel may really just be referred pain to heel from sciatic nerve. when i stand up i get an electric shock like pain through my groin.   and tbat area is super inflamed like someone kicked me there. this has felt this way for five days now and lower back pain has gotten progressively worse.  seriouy i m the only nut out therd who would run with this much pain....but i m a nut who signed up for a grand slam....otherwize i would stop. i dont know yet if i will start ogden or not....if tbis appt helps and a steroid shot i may be able...but then run risk of dnf.   which is btr a dnf or dns?  neither.  both r hard places to be.    8:11 ap.

massage and adjustment-   hip height difference 1 inch.  ooops.  deep tissue massage--knot size of fist in hamstring.  lower back very crampy today. she worked me good.   today i woke and could walk on foot painfree. but very stiff.  tried running and it instantly hurt as before.  still ran as getting steroid today.  got to pin point locale.  ran 2.5 easy then two someday probably not this lifetime.....marathon pace miles.....not ogden.....644, 644.    flat miles. cooldown to house 1.5 miles.  ran by af high school and around that loop.   heel was a huge bugger. lungs are raring to go.  

zero miles of running but a whole lot of walking in my busy 13 hour shift. steroid flare so foot on opposite side more painful than usual and pain gone where heel spur/main problem is :)   was seriously in doubt today but as the hours passed i feel better and better....foot may be resurfacing....going to sleep well wnd try a three miler in the am before work.  racing ogden not my goal running it is.  training run for utah valley that i will tru to pr at if i make a turn around.  course pr for me that is so 3:08.   ogden...if runnable foot i think i could get 3:10 to 313. 

5 easy but not easy for foot.  steroid flare. getting worried.  but made it without stopping. 8:46 ap.    lower back bugging on right side. 

not good. steroid flare or he hit the nerve......opposite side of foot from heel to ponky toe which is also s1 to s2 lower back referred pain. tried to run....made it 0.1 miles. tried grass running. btr due to coldness but so far it looks like i m going to run /walk this thing. i was not even going to start....broke down crying cause it is looking like another painful summer injured and i dont have much time left.  husband thinks i should finish walking if i have to......since i wouldnt be better off not running mentally.   i just want this nerve pain to go away.     why oh why?    chiro appt with dr frazier. lots of lower back instability due to imbalance. back and spine realigned. laser to back and foot.

so happy to have cut this race short...four miles then walked a bit then ran to about 5.2 or so and found the sheriff, no tears) first dnf and i was very calm. relieved. this has got to be my smartest running moment ever.  walking hurt, but i am masochistic and hoped for a miracle...two visits to chiropracter, one massage, two steroid injections to heel, laser to back....no relief...even with a pain md out of dezperation.  standing around the fires by myself (lost kim and stacy who i staued with at the marriott) i was wondering how i was going to persvere the pain in my foot?  boston was hard but this pain was even more severe.....i started the race with a goal to just finish at 330 then just finish....but at 0.1 miles it was clear i was not going to be canceling out "hot coals barefoot" feeling in my right heel and ankle.  i tried all my tricks to negate it....even singing out loud with my ipod music.  my first mile was a shocker--7:04.   i thought i was at a 830 pacw. i didnt have a garmin.  mine broke when i did two weeks ago.  and i didnt want a time pressure anyway.  i thought to myself...if this pain were gone this race, rain and colder temps, would have been sweet!   i just knew i was ready cardio and mentally . i just didnt get a miracle. but i m so okay with that. a nice police officer gave me a warm drive to the halfway where i cheered many runners on while i froze, being soked. but i enjoyed it. thanking volunteers along the way. seriously they rock to be out there longer than an individual runner!   i got offered a ride by a very kind man as his wife was running her first race. she came in at 2 hours at the half and we were ofc the long way to north ogden. it was so toasty warm in the truck. i was so thankful he heard my request to find a way down as the relay shuttles were far from leaving the half way point. some great conversation there. he dropped me off at my hotel which is 0.1,miles from the finish. i quickly changex and made it to the finishe line at 2:59!  saw third place gil cross and many friends after that. everyone persevered well. i was limping at the finish line and was having lots of shooting pains through my ankle. idk if it is my back...herniated disc or plantar fascitis or both.  so painful. yay, i m out of competition for the slam. a relief. i only signed up for it to get into sgm. i got in on my own anyway.   ha ha.  now i can rest. if foot heals i will run uvm but i m not going to stress about it.  st george is my focus.

nothing. cant run. walking with limp. heel pain and wicked sciatica......think the disc herniated last year is more so. lumbar 4-5.  woke with cramps in both legs mostly in right. lower right back pulsating pain to thigh burning.  blah. train wreck.

worked from six to 115. had meridian health test done. sulfur overload in body. taking some homeopathic meds to help my body detox it.   and some organ support vitamins to help during detox.  lots of burning pain in lower back and foot a nightmare...BUT no shooting pain in ankle today.  pf   making its comeback....oh what a joy....a long with tendinitis jist above ankle.  see hematologist next tuesday...runing out of money..lovely.  onward. april and i have some unfinished business this fall. watch out :--)

Cant bear weight on foot without pain. So weird. What to do next? plan eventually to get some hiit and swimmimg going.  probably not run til august.  

Woke to charlie horse in left leg that ended up turning to burning pain and tightness around calf all day and tingling...right foot felt 50 percent better today.  this is not a injury....i m certain of that....it is a longer flare of the undiagnosed nervous system autoimmune disease.  it will stay in one place for a while- burning pain and tightness and tingling then suddenlu change to the other side....the exacerbations have lasted longer lately and appears that i have residual deficit in between flares. hoping hematologist/intrernist can finally figure what my diagnosis. u should see me walk....today my left leg cannot move right.  my right is doing all the work. no problem with upper body symptoms.  i m sorru but i m going to ise my blog to chart this problem.  last fall my arm to finger went numb with shooting pains.  the legs feel worse than that. kim's mother said her mother took 7 years to be diagnosed with lupus and she said i sound jist like she did with nerve pains and flares with remissions. my blog is full of entries about me talkimg of burning pain.  this flare came on right after i had the flu for a week. i had a similar flare in 2004 and dr holmes found that i had a current infection of ebstein barr virus.   some of my readers think it is from my running but it is in part....as the stress of work, training, and flu brought on this flare.  i also have been worse in the spring.  it is perplexing and at times deeply depressing. how long can i endure this? very serious here. i wonder if the flare will end. if it doesnt i can no longer run competitively. i m hopeful ot should end soon. 30 min spin easy. 20 minutes cybex trainer, very easy.

nerve pain flare over. ahh. except heel of course. homeopathics and Bone up helping me heel. i think.  3 extremely slow miles because i couldnt stand it anymore. i believe i have a neuroma on my heel. very distinct shooting pain up calf when i palpate the bony protrusion on my calcaneus of right foot. probably will get the mri.  need an official diagnosis. the pain is not where i get the pf. gonna start hiit tmr. 27:53. This entry is for sat. I worked all day friday  and walking was painful.leg cramp in left leg.

nothing. so depressed i cant even remember tbis day. oh yah went to 7 peaks for dour bours. limping. how fun. no rides for fear i would land on foot and make it worse.

25 mile bike ride. canal. then biked beside rachelle and carina in the 10 m race. biking doesnt hurt foot. but it hurt more after biking. walking. i m trying not to lose hope that i will run again. pain free. mostly depressing.  

biked about 40 minutes. nice ride. up to canal and over to art dye and back home in the early cool morning air. dr appt. ferriting 34. dropping . iron not absorbing  ut no infusion til i m at deaths door again. foot a nightmare. i camt dream it away. sucks. hiit program started. josse made a rljtine dor tbree times a week for me. i did core challenge in front of her. not easy. 

20 min bike ride. no time. worked all day. sinus infection on right side. atopped taking homeopatbics. .not thinking they are helping. foot pain just there constantly if i walk. maybe this is it for me and running? cant imagine being pain free anymore.  so tired. did not sleep well. about tjree hours. 

16.5 mile bike ride from my house on canal to 800 north orem.  then back. 4:11ap.    mountainbike. joined kim and crew at af track high school and,did a tough hiit workout. even wall climbers!   sore. drove to manti for travis' sealing to tori. nice. then dinner outside. worried i may never run again. very serious. this ankle has some issues.

losing track of what day of week it is. yesterdays work out was today.   yesterday i worked all day on mom/baby.  walking a chore. pain.

worked in admit nursery. three babies.  all boys. assessed five others. no pct.  foot glimpses that some day i may walk normal. but not for a while.

admit nursery. four assesments. two deliveries. one of which was needong to be in level two nsy.  foot in pain but less.really sore by end of shift.

14 mile bike ride, 4:02 AP. 1100north to canal. 4:09, 6:59. compared to 4:23 and 7:47 last week. great improvement on the hill to canal.   did a loop to art dye. very nice. then 10 minute hiit. then to kims bday pool party in bighland hidden meadows. very nice area and home. amber and i hung out a,lot.. my daughter.